


Help Me Heal

by NittyGrittyBonBon



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor does his best, Connor is BAMF, Connor sucks at emotion, Hank is best dad, Josh is great friend, M/M, Markus is one oblivious mofo, North is actually a good friend, Politics, Simon deserves happiness, Simon goes through tough rejection, Simon still loves Markus at the start, Slow Burn, attempt at world building, but really broad interpretation of it, gets sexual later, mentions of abuse (in the past), some angst but happiness prevails
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-19 06:42:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22340080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NittyGrittyBonBon/pseuds/NittyGrittyBonBon
Summary: He had to stop him. He had to jump in front of the bullet. Anything to save his-But just before his limbs came back online to do just that, Connor's blank face twitched. The LED on his head flickered down to blue. The detective blinked rapidly for several moments, his face warped in fear and disbelief. He glanced down at the gun, still hovering before him, before he placed it back in his holester. He looked around, wondering if anyone had noticed, and made eye contact with Simon. His LED went yellow.They simply stared at each other. Markus's words merely white noise in front of them.OrSimon noticed Connor almost blast Markus's brains out and stop himself right on time. Turns out Simon is far too forgiving, even when it involved his unrequited love. There was something about Connor that just made the PL600 want to be there for him. Maybe he was imprinting on a new freckled faced hero?
Relationships: Connor/Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Markus/North (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 77
Kudos: 190





	1. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit man, I love shipping Connor with ppl. I got no real OTP with him, tbh. You'd think I'd want to whore him out, but really I just get so intrigued by the potential relationship interactions. Demisexual stuff, man. I love me some emotional build up that ends in porn. Sigghh.

Markus loved North.

It shattered him, really. Simon could see the subtle growth of their connection. He knew Markus loved him as well, could tell by the dangerous sacrifice of sparing him at Stratford, but it was a family bond. Markus had found the person he was destined to be with, and it wasn't him.

He watched them from affar, interfacing intimately as the androids cheered their freedom. He watched as Markus slowly untangled from her, fingers woefully separating for the fearless leader to give his speech. 

Simon adored his speeches, and listened to them with undivided attention. But not today. Today his words carassed him gently, washing over his ears like silk, but they were incomprehensible. His own broken soul was trying to accept the rejection of what could never be.

He tried not to make a face, knowing he'd made enough faces to warrant a neon sign reading _I Love Markus_. It was beyond him how the revolution leader hadn't picked up on it. They all stood before the crowd of deviants, and as a leader himself, he had a great accomplishment before him. Freedom.

He glanced at the back of Markus's head, smiling wistfully at it, and then noticed North also watching him with a devoted gaze. He quickly darted his eyes to the side, ashamed.

He was trying to school his features until he saw Connor. The detective who Markus had pulled along with them. He had tipped this revolution to their side after all. He was momentarily distracted in his train of thought went he noticed the android was holding out a gun. The weapon shaking in his hand just above his waist and his LED spinning red. His face was blank, like an android who had not deviated.

Simon didn't need to follow his gaze to know whom he was looking at. The target that gun was planning to shoot. Panic struck him, preventing him from moving. The worst type of shock piercing through him.

He had to stop him. He had to jump in front of the bullet. Anything to save his-

But just before his limbs came back online to do just that, Connor's blank face twitched. The LED on his head flickered down to blue. The detective blinked rapidly for several moments, his face warped in fear and disbelief. He glanced down at the gun, still hovering before him, before he placed it back in his holester. He looked around, wondering if anyone had noticed, and made eye contact with Simon. His LED went yellow.

They simply stared at each other. Markus's words merely white noise in front of them.

Connor's expression was stern, but had concern in it. His mouth moved slowly as he mouthed something at him.

_It's okay now._

Simon, who was just now realizing that his face was etched in mild horror, felt his own mouth part in disbelief.

 _What were you_ -

"We are alive," Markus stated, pulling both androids back to him with the emotional crack in his voice, "and now... we are free!"

Everyone began to cheer, cry, and hug each other within the crowd. They were overwhelmed with emotion. North and Markus moved to hug, and Josh reached over to clasp Simon on the shoulder. 

"We did it, Simon," the android whispered to him. Simon glanced at him, and then to Connor, who looked over to Markus with relief.

"We did," he whispered back, turning to his friend, smiling softly, "we're free."

Josh moved to talk to North, and Markus turned to speak to Connor. Simon watched the interaction carefully.

"We would have been overwhelmed if you hadn't helped us, Connor. You risked your life, and I'm extremely grateful, brother."

Connor smiled weakly, "it was necessary, Markus," he replied. The leader returned the smile, brighter and more confident than his.

"Join us. You are free now. Become one with our cause," he gestured at his team, and more specifically, Simon. Markus was never one to leave a person out of a conversation, "our leaders will welcome you, if you'd like to aid in our negotiations."

Connor avoided Simon's gaze, "I have to go back to my lieutenant. Without him, I don't think I would have hesitated or questioned anything. He's important to me."

Markus frowned curiously, "will you return?"

Connor finally looked over to Simon, as though the statement was directed to him, "I've done enough here."

Markus glanced curiously between the two androids, but chose not to press further, "Connor. You are one of us. Never forget that. Despite everything, we will welcome you with open arms."

Connor turned back to him, nodding, "thank you Markus."

He nodded at North and Josh as they approached, and finally dismissed himself, stepping down the platform.

"Is he leaving?" Josh asked curiously.

North crossed his arms, "he hunted us down for the beginning portion of his existence. I'd be surprised if he _didn't_."

"North," Markus pleaded. North rose her hands, trying to placate him.

Simon stepped forward, "I just want to talk to him for a moment," he murmured, quickly passing them as he moved to catch up to the former deviant hunter.

"Simon...!" Markus called, and Simon called back without turning, "don't wait on my behalf. Figure out where everyone will be going from here!"

That was a solid point. As the leaders moved to discuss that very topic, Simon rushed behind Connor. The man was weaving through the now empty crates from the camps, his hands sliding against their surface. They slowly reached a secluded distance, where the lights no longer reached that sharply, and the wind picked up its howls. The android cheers soft and muted.

Simon considered that following him might not have been a good idea. Especially when he saw Connor stop. Simon stopped just a step later, his step crunching loudly in the snow. Of course Connor noticed him.

"I stopped her," the detective android stated softly, "I almost shot him. Cyberlife tried to take control of me. It was sudden."

Simon frowned. Was he explaining what had happened earlier?

"Kamski warned me. I took the backdoor of my program. I fought to escape and I won. It was not like being a deviant, and I-," he turned around, facing Simon with desperate eyes and his LED running red, " _I didn't want to kill him._ "

Simon slowly made his way closer, and the android made no move as he did.

"I believe you, Connor," he stated, simply. He didn't know who _she_ /was, but it was apparent that the being he was referring to might have been the cause of his relapse.

The android's LED shifted to yellow, and stayed there. His hands were in tight fists as he turned to look away. Simon slowly made his way to him, leaning forward to see his face.

"Are you finally free? From Cyberlife?"

Connor glanced over to him, "yes. I think I am."

"Then you should be fine, Connor," Simon commented. He wanted to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but the android looked far too tense. The detective straightened up, turning his body to fully face him. His LED still cycling yellow.

"I almost killed your leader. How can you be so calm after this? I wouldn't have blamed you if you had informed Markus of what you had witnessed."

Simon blinked, "believe me, Connor, I doubt the best route to take was to outright state what had transpired. You were the only android with a gun up there."

Connor narrowed his eyes, "yet you came here alone."

A chill went through Simon's spine, recalling that he stood before a very powerful and potentially deadly android. 

Connor noticed his stress levels and quickly tried to reassure him, "I have no intention of hurting anyone. I'm just questioning your decision to approach me on your own about the matter in a secluded area."

The PL600 tried to collect his bearings at the statement, "If your intention was to kill Markus, you would have already done so. You also looked very..."

He trailed off, unable to finish his statement.

"Lost," Connor finished for him. Simon glanced up curiously, but the android's gaze was directed at the crowd of androids further back, "an android told me that once."

Simon didn't know how to reply to that comment, but it seemed he didn't need to. Connor's brown eyes found his blue one, and he nodded at the android, "but right now I know where I need to be."

He turned back around to leave, but Simon caught his arm. Connor looked down at the hand grabbing him. 

"If you need someone to talk to, feel free to visit," the blond android stated firmly, "emotions are difficult, and it helps to discuss them with someone who might be able to understand."

Connor looked down at the pale hand holding his. 

"Thank you for your concern, Simon, but I will be fine," he replied, gently removing his hand and leaving.

Simon watched him as he left, his LED markers blurred from the long distance until snow and wind finally overwhelmed the lights. He let out a long sigh. 

"Maybe I'm the one who is lost," he whispered, hovering useless in the maze of crates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very self-indulgent. I realize this isn't actually a popular ship, but well, I got stuck on editting another work, so I thought I'd try this one.


	2. Support?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus is swamped with meetings, and needs a helping hand with negotiation. North is too agressive, Josh is to compliant, and Simon got stage fright when there were too many humans. 
> 
> So the PL600 offers to get in contact with Connor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some world building, don't mind me. Also some more of Simon's awkward ass trying not to have his heart bleeding open all over the place from the break Markus gave it. The fool who done did it completely unaware. (Promise ya'll I don't hate Markus, He's selfless I swear, just a goof.)

Simon cringed at the memory. Connor was likely shaken up by his sudden loss of control, but there was no reason he'd be lost as a whole. He had a home to return to and after turning deviant, a path to walk. It was Simon merely projecting. He was the one who didn't know what to do with himself, and was likely going to his baser programming of being a caretaker. Hiding behind his need to feel helpful, and imprinting himself at anyone showcasing any hint of needing comfort.

rA9, maybe _he_ just wanted to be comforted. Such an embarrassment to demand it from an android he barely even knew!

It was obvious to everyone that he was heartbroken. Josh had known from the start, Markus was clearly oblivious, and North at least had enough heart rubbed off on her that she actually felt _sorry_ for him. He vaguely wondered if he would have preferred her to be a jerk spit a nasty statement every time he was caught staring at their leader. The thought was easily dismissed. Despite their insensitive advice of leaving the other to their death initially, Simon had found that North was a good friend. She never judged his longing looks, never confronted him, and Simon knew he'd never dare to question their partnership. He knew there was no way he'd ever wedge himself between them.

Markus had softened her despair and North had opened Markus to the bleeding hearts of the deviants. She was his right hand man. Or woman, rather. 

After the revolution, things were not as easy as moving to the streets and integrating with the humans. Laws had to change, negotiations had to be made, and meetings had to be scheduled for the mentioned to happen. President Warren had a positive view of androids, but it didn't mean that the people would all vote unanimously that androids should be a part of their society. Such was democracy. It would likely take years for things to be solidly passed and amendments passed. 

However, the androids still needed a home. Or if anything, temporary homes. With Jericho destroyed and the church being too small to accommodate every android, they had to use the materials from the camps to rebuild a large shelter. It became the new headquarters for androids, and even had a makeshift office for the leaders. Simon felt it was distasteful, and many androids despised the implications behind the materials, but it was the cheapest solution for the pressing need of a home. 

Many construction androids easily provided their services, and surprisingly enough, humans did as well. Markus greeted each human dutifully, and soon enough they had constructed Jericho II. Josh felt like the name was important to keep. It had made such an impact to androids to simply mention it, and the power behind it should stay with them.

Another shred of hope for Simon was that some humans opened their homes to the androids. This was, of course, seen with suspicion at first, but many of these humans had been the very same ones who had spilled sweat and effort to help them build Jericho II. Some were temporary, until they could find homes of their own, and others were adopted into the family. Connections and friendships had been built, and it warmed Simon's heart to see the small buds of harmony among humanity and androids.

It reminded him of Connor. The android had mention his human lieutenant very briefly. His friendship with the human being genuine and a major contribution to his conversion. It was a curious thought to Simon. Many androids had deviated through harsh treatment, including even Markus, who had lived with a wonderful human and would have never thought to become a deviant had his biological son not attacked him.

It always seemed like negativity was the only emotions pulled by humans. Bitterness, betrayal, or mistreatment. He had suffered through it himself, after all. Androids had deviated through love and family, but with many of them it had been amongst each other. He wondered about the relationship the android had with the human. 

"We've got a lot to go through," he heard Markus announce. He glanced up from his desk, catching back up to his surroundings. Their office was a small open room, but they each had a desk of their own and a terminal. Much of their equipment was recycled items, repurposed, or fixed by their people, so it was all they could do for the time.

"You're telling me," Josh scoffed. He was filing documents as he spoke, "we need to start making committees for this. Clearly we don't have enough hands. I used to teach multiple courses with chaotic students and none of that stressed me out as much as this."

"You saying you'd rather go back?" North replied dryly.

"rA9, no," Josh replied, throwing her a glare, "I'm just suggesting help. Markus is the best negotiator here, but we have multiple places to be booking meetings to."

"Then we should all split up and take some weight off his shoulders," North stated firmly.

"Bad idea," Simon began, "Josh is far too compliant to suggestions and North, you are far to aggressive to make progress. I'd help myself, but I'm not good with large groups of humans."

Their leader dragged a hand across his face, "he's right, North," he stood up, giving off the air of someone who was relaxed, but there was no doubt that he was simply filtering through his agenda, "we need someone who is good with words, confident against humans, and loyal to our cause. Having a committee sounds good too, though. Can I entrust that to you, Josh?"

"Of course," the android replied, "I'm sure many are willing to do the technical parts."

"Alright," Markus nodded, "how about anyone willing to sit and have discussion with the humans?"

Josh sighed, "Look, I'm programmed to understand psychology, but matters like this aren't things we were accustomed to do as deviants. Many of us have been going through therapy, and just aren't emotionally fit for that sort of pressure with the humans. At the end of the day we were programmed to serve humans. It is in our nature to please them, even if it's subconscious."

"I'm not pleasing ANY human," North spat out darkly. Markus cringed, Josh chose the worst words to use for android who understood psychology. 

"We also have androids who are too close to their scars," the deviant leader added.

Simon propped his elbow on his desk, placing his chin on his chest, "Connor was programed to negotiate, and still does, considering his job at the DPD" he offered, "maybe we could ask for his help."

Markus shook his head, "Connor made his decision, he-"

"He OWES us," North interrupted, stepping forward, "he has no right to refuse."

"That's not what our cause was about," Josh argued.

"He was set on killing us!" North threw back, not even looking back at him.

"He was programmed to," Markus corrected, crossing his arms, "and he risked his life to bring us the rest of our people. I can't imagine it was a simple mission. He had a damaged component caused by a bullet and large thirium stains in his outfit. He's done enough."

"It wouldn't hurt to ask," Simon stated, "I think his choice to leave was mainly about returning to where he belonged. I don't think he'd be against helping us."

Markus stared at Simon, contemplating. Simon felt his thirium regulator stutter at the powerful gaze. He hated himself for it.

"Very well. I'll schedule an appointment with him," he concluded, returning to his seat.

"I'll go with you," North and Simon stated at the same time.

Markus darted his gaze between them curiously. Simon turned to her, and her gaze was firmly on Markus.

Right.

"I'm sorry-," he began, gesturing to her.

"Simon should come," their leader commented, turning back down to look at his terminal, "I'm sorry North. I know you'd back me up, but I need Simon's support on this one."

The PL600 glanced at North, and her sharp eyes met his. He wanted to apologize, but he also didn't. There was no reason for him to. She sagged, relenting to her lover. 

She rolled her eyes, "Don't mess it up, Simon. You can get awkward," she commented. The tone was light, though.

"I'll try not to," Simon replied with a weak smile. Clearly they weren't referring to the meeting.

* * *

Connor had found a steady rhythm with his work. He finished a lot of the 'boring' paperwork, as Hank would put it, quickly. He had been rehired by Fowler, and so far the duties he had been assigned to were under the strict supervision of lieutenant Anderson. His partner had been lucky that he had not lost his job. And that luck was offered back down to the android. Human networking was never a bias-free concept, it seemed.

There wasn't a lot of heavy work so far, if he were being honest. He certainly had cases from people who took advantage of the chaos and revolution; humans stealing, vandalizing, and so forth all while blaming the androids, but they were easy and expected. He solved them swiftly. They were many assignments, but simple to resolve.

Anderson was glad for the lack of load. He had mentioned that all the problems and hell he had to live through during that short period of the deviant case snuffed all his need for adventure. The man was grateful for the lack of deadly chase.

If he were to consider it, Connor did not necessarily care either way. He enjoyed working at the DPD. He wasn't treated like an equal quite yet, and was still seen with contempt by some (detective Reed being the main aggressor), but he had found a home with his partner. Additionally, not every coworker treated him as a lower being; Officer Miller was a prime example. And officer Wilson, who would visit him from time to time.

It was all thanks to lieutenant Anderson that he had settled in so seamlessly. He gave him a solid support through this new era. The older man had opened his house to Connor, allowing the android to live with him. It made him happy, and erased a lot of the bitterness of Cyberlife and dulled the overwhelming guilt of the choices he made. He had someone who would have his back, and he, of course, had his.

Still, he would contemplate his former mission. He recalled finally becoming a deviant at Jericho. The thoughts that ran through his head as he broke his orders to stop Markus.

Sure, the deviant leader had sown doubts, but those doubts had only served as reinforcement from the lieutenants words. The older man's questions and analysis lent him strength as he clawed the first wall of his directive down.

 _You could have shot those two girls, but you didn't. Why didn't you shoot?_ it shattered. 

He moved to the second. Fingers digging into the firewall as he recalled the lieutenant questioning his decision to let the Chloe live. _Maybe you did the right thing._ It gave away and shattered as well.

At the last restrain, he could feel the final pressure of his choice. The last piece of commentary from his superior. It happened earlier that day, and he easily recalled it. _what if we're on the wrong side, Connor? What if we're fighting against people who just want to be free?_ Connor had doubts. Kamski told him he had to pick a side. Anderson had told him to as well. And as the last firewall broke down in his hands, he knew which one was the right one.

He was going to fight for androids.

As he contemplated his encounter with Markus, he recieved a notification by the android himself. What a coincidence. Connor blinked rapidly as he processed it's contents.

_Hello Detective Connor,_

_I wish to schedule an appointment with you. Simon and I wish to discuss some important matters with you, if you would have the time to meet with us. Please let us know what the best date would be._

_-Markus Manfred_

Connor cocked his head. It had been some time since the revolution, but he kept up with any news that was spread on the progress of the androids. The leaders of Jericho were very busy, so this meeting was likely to be an important one. 

He frowned. Markus had mentioned Simon. He was the android who had seen him battle against Amanda's control. The PL600 seemed gentle and forgiving, but had he decided to retract the trust? Would this meeting have anything to do with his actions? Maybe not, otherwise they'd have brought it up earlier. 

He suddenly felt very nervous. 

He recalled Simon offering to lend an ear. Connor easily rejected the offer. The PL600 was likely speaking out of his programming, trying to sooth Connor in his moment of riddled guilt. He was the deviant hunter, and the android had clearly shown signs of fear in their brief interaction. All of those offers of friendship and welcoming gestures were superficial. He knew what he was. He knew Jericho did too. He wasn't like them.

Perhaps he knew where he belonged, but he also could not hide from his past. It would forever be etched into his coding. Forever building a wall between himself and his kind. He was not a part of Markus's people. And as strong as his friendship with the lieutenant was, he was not human. He was stuck in limbo, unable to fully connect to anything in this world. 

Could it be that despite his conclusions, he was still lost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor's problem isn't that he has no home. He also has no doubt that he's where he needs to be. It stems more on his emotional grasp of connecting with people, and whether or not he has the right to. He a jumbled mess.


	3. I'm here for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon did not exactly realize what years of avoiding the police would do to his mental state when he entered a police station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Breaking news: chocolate glazed police donut helps a sweet cinnamon bun from imploding itself. Not that bad, but sugar levels, I mean, stress levels do rise.

Simon could be professional and a wise advisor for his leader, but anytime Markus threw him a broad smile of approval or pulled him into a hug, he suddenly became tongue-tied. It was difficult. He knew it was out of companionship, but his mind didn't register it that way; hopeful and bashful for something that simply wasn't there. And the deviant leader was ever so patient with him, giving him space to collect himself in these times. 

The biggest break rA9 had given him was the fact that Markus was denser than a piece of osmium. So very, _very_ dense. It was absolutely outstanding that the android hadn't noticed his lingering stares. He never really hid his affections for him since the moment he fell out of the sky and violently rammed into the pits of Jericho like an driven angelic warrior. Markus likely thought his infatuation was merely devotion. At least nowadays he was trying to at least be considerate about his starstruck gazes. 

There was the relief of having a job to discuss, so hopefully important matters would distract him as they walked side by side. That way he wouldn't have to focus on a piercingly empathetic heterochromatic gaze, a strong jawline that spoke of poetic justice, artificial facial hair that tempted you to glide your fingers across it, or rA9 forbid, the sprinkle of freckles. Simon was weak against freckles.

He sharply turned away from the android. Well. That took only a moment to swan dive off his objective.

He tried to bring himself back on task. The meeting. Connor had easily agreed to meet with them. As for location, there was no preference. He did, however, mention that the lieutenant had access to a private conference room if they'd like to use it. Simon was hesitant, preferring that they meet at Jericho II instead, but Markus concluded that it would be better to take incentive this time.

"If we want to convince him, it's best we come to him," he had stated, "after all, we are the ones who need him. We want him to be at ease, and I think the best way to do that as to meet at the place he is most comfortable in."

Simon ruefully accepted the decision. After all, wherever Markus chose to go, he'd follow. The android never lead him astray, and had a way with people that was very charismatic. He knew Markus would do they right thing, and if he messed up, Simon would be there to help him talk it through.

Still, it didn't mean he had to like the plan on a personal level. He hoped he could steel himself enough to follow through in the setting they'd go to. There was something intimidating about the police. Getting caught by an officer had always been known as an immediate death sentence for a deviant like Simon. He'd been hidden for years and this concept was drilled in his head so strongly that he could feel his fingers twitching the moment they entered the shiny lobby. 

"Simon," Markus whispered to him, placing a hand on his forearm, "are you alright?"

The blond android darted his eyes to his leader. He had to compose himself. It wouldn't do if he ruined everything by panicking. It would be the worst if he made a terrible impression on not only Connor and the lieutenant, but the entire precinct itself. He was glad that he didn't have an LED anymore. He was sure the humans wouldn't appreciate him flashing his distress like an intruder alert warning.

He awkwardly patted the hand over his pale one, smiling stiffly before sliding out of his grip. In an attempt to distract himself, he walked up to the front desk and meeting with the receptionist.

"Hello," she greeted, "are you here for an appointment?"

"Yes," Markus answered for him, placing a reassuring hand on the other android's shoulder, "we are here to meet with detective Connor? My name is Markus Manfred, and this is my colleague, Simon."

Simon felt himself lean slighlty into the hand. He guiltily allowed himself to be distracted with the warmth of it. He was allowed that much, wasn't he?

"I've just let him know," the receptionist replied warmly, "he's on his way now."

"Thank you," Simon replied, stepping back as Markus guided them to sit. The deviant leader seemed to dominate attention from the entire front entrance. All eyes fell on him; whisperes and murmurs about the man and voices softly retelling his stories. Androids murmured in awe and reverence and humans whispered in curiosity and amazement. 

This was nothing to Markus. He leaned back in his chair in a languid manner, as though he was lounging back at their common area in Jericho II. Markus was used to spotlights and attention. He found no need to assume an intimidating or powerful posture at every instant he was faced with public attention; he was here to see someone he considered a friend.

Simon himself was used to the attention as well, being with him constantly, but he had the advantage of a very forgettable face compared to the unique RK200. If alone, Androids could recognize him on spot if they chose to run a quick scan of his serial number. He founded Jericho, and this was something that still came with his identity. He was occasionally addressed with quiet reverance. But humans, which were the beings they had the most meetings with, were less prone to connect the the dots on who he was. After all, Simon was one of hundreds of PL600s. If someone mentioned 'Leader of Jericho,' it was Markus that popped into their minds.

Many of the humans assumed he was a different android each time their team came into large conferences. Simon had also not made much media exposure during the revolution. His friends were far more identifiable. Josh, who was a less common model, and North, who easily made an impression in both the way she carried herself, and her status with Markus. Both androids also stayed near their leader's ear when he was at the brink of making a choice. His waging advisors, tempting him into his decisions. 

In fact, Simon's main purpose in being present was to dampen the tension between his two friends and ease his leader when he landed a choice that carried a massive burden. Every step their leader made took a toll on everyone, after all. The blond android ensured Markus that he had someone to talk ideas through without being pressured into a specific choice. It was likely the reason why he was chosen to come along today. Markus wanted no pressures in this meeting. He wanted it to be a casual conversation. No heavy hand or philosophical analysis. Simply Simon, his best friend.

So it was all the more imperative that he pulled himself together. He continued to tamper down the quick jolt in his stress levels as each officer passed by. He had to ensure his leader was taken care of. This would never change.

* * *

Connor rolled his coin through his knuckles and interfaced with his terminal using his free hand. After a quick mall trip with Hank, he no longer needed to wear his Cyberlife uniform. The lieutenant had made a spectacle of setting it on fire in their back yard. 

_You need to move on,_ Hank had told him, staring at the flames accusatively. He assumed the gaze was intended for the company it came from, not the fabric itself. The gesture made him smile.

He did keep some things. He still had his LED on his temple, and his hair was still styled back with the single protesting curl, but no more were his Cyberlife markers. He had a white button up with his sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a black tie, and a gray vest over it. It was still far more formal than the other detectives, as he even had black slacks and nice shoes, but on Connor it looked very casual compared to his typical wardrobe. 

The detective switched to flick his coin, hearing the satisfying clink as it spun in the air and returned to his hand. He was done for the day, having assured Captain Fowler that his meeting today would not interfere with his work, but he still felt the need to sift through his files. He needed his hands to keep busy. To put it bluntly, he was fidgeting. 

Even Hank could see this. The lieutenant kept giving him a curious glance roughly every 5 minutes. He supposed he was getting too loud with the continuous flicking (his hands provided a louder sound than a human epidermis) because his partner finally snapped.

"Connor I swear to god if you flick that shit one more time I'm going to confiscate it again. I'll fucking melt it, turn it into a bullet, and shoot you with it."

Connor flicked it one more time, just to be a jerk, but caught it and slipped it into his coat before Hank could throw a tantrum. He through him an innocent look at his small little act of defiance.

"Sorry, Hank," he explained, "I'm not really sure what this meeting was about, therefore I'm having difficulties pre-constructing what to say. Or how to approach the leaders."

Anderson crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair, "that just a fancy way to say you're nervous?"

"I suppose it is."

His partner smirked, "you're a negotiation genius and equipped to be the most adaptive investigation android to date, and you're _nervous_?."

"I am a prototype, lieutenant," Connor countered, feeling his face slip into a pout.

"You took yourself down with that one, kid. I think living with me has had a bad influence," his partner snorted, bringing a smile out of his android friend. At the soft expression, the lieutenant sighed. He pausing his teasing to lean forward to address the problem.

"Listen, Connor. These nerves. They don't seem like a happy sort of energy. Is there a something you're not telling me this this meeting you're going to have with your friends?"

"They are not my friends, lieutenant," Connor responded genuinely. 

The lieutenant frowned, "What do you mean they aren't your friends?"

Connor was prevented from replying further, as he was sent a transmission from the front desk. He blinked rapidly, LED cycling yellow before he registered the message.

"They're here," he stated stiffly, standing up awkwardly.

"Calm down, would you?" Hank reassure him, gesturing at the office, "home-field advantage, remember? They can't hurt you here."

The detective adjusted his tie to collect himself, "the concern stems from other factors," he stated before dismissing himself to retrieve his visitors.

He slowly made his way to the side entrance of the precinct, where the gateways were at. He could see the two androids sitting at the waiting area and ran a quick scan as he approached. It was interesting seeing them outside of their revolution outfits. Simon wore a blue button up with dark jeans. He wore a tan belt and shoes that matched them. Markus was wearing a dark green long sleeved shirt, tight on his form, black jeans, and tennis shoes. They seemed much more casual, compared to the snug formal attire he'd seen in the news or the Jericho styled outfits they modified for the PR.

Markus had his arms crossed, but he was very relaxed. He had leaned back the couch seat and seemed to be in deep thought. The RK200 was likely busy contemplating his agenda for Jericho II. Markus always had a stern expression on; his eyes ever so full of determination no matter what he was thinking.

His optical units moved to Simon. The PL600. To a human, his fluid posture and body language seemed relaxed, but Connor easily gauged his readings as tense. Why was he stressed? He was trying to hiding it, too. The levels were not terribly dangerous, but the blond android was most definitely what Hank would call 'internally screaming.'

Blue eyes darted up at him, eyes in a nervous panic before schooling into a calmer gaze. But Connor had noticed the quick flash of emotion. 

_You lied to me, Connor,_ the detective's mind provided for him in Daniel's accusative whisper. It startled him. 

He had no lies for Simon, so this was was an irrational flicker of dialogue to recall in this context. Yet... the guilt still loomed behind him.

The detective watched as Simon stood first, and once Markus saw him approach the gates, he quickly followed suit. There was no room to hesitate now, he needed to be there for whatever Jericho's leaders required. He put himself into business mode.

"Markus, Simon," Connor commented coolly, approaching past the gate to them in peak professionalism, "I'm glad to see you. Please follow me inside."

Markus could not contain his smile. He strode up to the android and pulled him into a big hug. The android blinked in shock, not expecting the casual greeting. He slowly relaxed into it and tried to return the hug. Simon could tell Connor was not practiced in the gesture. 

"Connor, it's been a while!" Markus laughed as he released him, his hands landing on his shoulders, "how are you?"

The android glanced between them, looking perplexed, "I am well. I thought...," he frowned, pensive before returning a small smile, "I'm happy to see you."

"Hello Connor," Simon greeted politely, shaking Connor's hand, "I'm glad to you are doing well."

Connor cocked his head, seeming to analyze Simon with a blank face before recovering. The grip tighten into something firmer and the detective gave it a solid shake before releasing him.

"Please, come in," he gestured behind him, "The lieutenant has given me the code to the meeting room."

Markus nodded, easily slipping into the gates Connor granted them access to. Simon on the other hand, was back to square one in his concerns. He approached the entrance with less confidence, forcing down his urge to dart and run as he took careful steps forward. His eyes glued onto Markus as the leader looked around curiously in the open office.

 _Focus on Markus,_ Simon told himself as his heavy feet pulled him through the entrance, _focus on Markus._

He felt his cooling system kick in as he moved into the open office. Chattering, phone calls, and humans all occupied in their duties. His processors went haywire. Would they notice him? Of course they did, he wasn't part of the staff. Did they see him as an unauthorized android stepping in the office? Not at all, he had a meeting scheduled here. Would they tackle him and cuff him? No. No. No. He was being completely ridiculous.

 _Markus._ Simon reminded himself as he watched the android placed his hands behind his back, head tilting up and taking in the scene. He was fascinated and intrigued. He was... fearless. Simon had to follow his lead. He could do this. They were going to a meeting. They weren't going to keep him locked up here. No one is turning anyone in.

He swallowed the protest that wanted to tear out his throat. To tell Markus it wasn't safe here. To grab his arm, shield him, and push him outside and back to the fortress of Jericho II. His pump regulator was stuttering at an uncontrollable speed. A choked sound squeezed out of his lips, the decible unable to be heard by human ears, but he was sure Markus, Connor, and any other android present heard it clear as day. 

Markus stopped, turning to see what the sound was. Simon smiled back at him, but he knew Markus had begun scanning him for any injuries. Likely noticed his readings by this point. So he tried to focus on calming down. He took a deep inhale, trying for a manual cooling tactic in addition to the overworked one within his chest. Errors popped up in his HUD. He was starting to overheat, feeling blue rush into his cheeks. He wanted to step outside before he caused a scene, but he couldn't afford to leave Markus on his own in the lion's den. The internal conflict was not helping.

"Simon?" he heard his Markus's concerned voice say, but Connor was the one who stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder.

Holy rA9 did that sudden contact almost cause him to self-destruct right then and there. He made a small gasped and glanced over to Connor. His breath short and not enough, as though he needed to actually breath.

Connor noticed this, his eyes raking over him, but he did not let him go. Instead, he leaned over to him and spoke in a low voice. The words meant only for Simon's ears, "Stick with me."

The detective android had stepped to his side, using his own body to subtly cover the blond android's face from the view of anyone in the office. His arm found its way around his back and to his shoulder. He used the leverage to slowly move them forward, leading him forward with an air of composed significance.

"You're a diplomat here," Connor stated casually as they walked further in the precinct, "As such, I'll neutralize any obstacle preventing you from reaching your destination. Including yourself."

The last point was relayed lightly and playfully. Simon's blue eyes slowly met the detective's, and he noticed a small reassuring smile aimed at him. He'd never heard Connor joke before. It threw him off.

Simon knew it was unlikely the detective would be doing anything violent to any of his coworkers, so neutralizing was not the most accurate interpretation. Granted, it was still slightly reassuring to hear. The detective's body language permeated with such sureness, Simon could not help but feel like he'd actually jump to the task. The android held him in a such protective manner, as well. Like the police or body guards that government officials would have by their side when they were escorted to the meetings with Markus.

Oh rA9. Markus. He tried not look at his leader as they moved further into the precint, rounding a corner to the offices in the back. This was already mortifying as it was, and he's hate to see what kind of reaction his leader had on this situation.

"I can have someone serve you refreshments if you were to request it," the android informed him in a civil manner, noticing he had spiked up in his levels again. It was just about the most outlandish concept that Simon could not help but throw a chuckle of disbelief. 

"You don't believe me?" Connor asked coolly. His tone spoke of challenge; a dare for him to stop the first human he set his eyes on and demand Simon be served.

Simon shook his head, suddenly embarrassed, "I... I don't need refreshments."

"You are a guest," the detective reminded him, "we would accommodate for your needs. Thirium beverages are now available for all androids in the precinct."

At this, Simon was finally able to unlatch from the detective, "No, I'm quite alright, Connor. It's best you address Markus instead..."

He turned to see Markus on his other side, looking him over with concern. 

"You okay?" He asked softly, ignoring Connor in favor of focusing on his friend. He had politely allowed the detective to guide him, noting he had managed to lower his stress levels, but Simon could tell he had been hovering close by, nonetheless. A hand found its way to his forearm. 

"I'm fine Markus," he reassured his friend warmly. He quickly realized how close Connor was to him, and eased away from him. From both of them. He was on the spotlight, and felt terribly embarrassed over it,

"Thank you Connor," he stated, nodding, "I should be better now. I apologize for the lack of professionalism."

Connor straighten up, suddenly back to being impeccable and composed, and reached out to do a hand scan on the door, "No worries, Simon. I'm now aware of the implications this location holds. It was not a factor I took in mind when scheduling the meeting. The blame is mine."

The PL600 moved to disagree, but his leader spoke first.

"What exactly caused this?" Markus asked curiously, looking between the two. One moment he had wandered inside the precinct and the next Simon had hiked up several percentages of stress. His companion had always been nervous around humans, but it normally never got this bad. They've been around crowds of humans before, and while the android got uncomfortable, he was never at the brink of a breakdown. Was it something about the-

Before Markus could analyze the situation further, the door flashed green and clicked. Connor grabbed the handle of the door, holding it open for them.

"Nothing, it's all fine now, Markus," Simon stated quickly, entering the room. 

Markus frowned, wanting to argue, but he knew now was not the time. He chose a seat closest to him, slipping in and lacing his fingers together. Simon sat next to him, and soon Connor moved around to sit before them.

"I was informed you had important matters to discuss," Connor began, nodding as a cue for them to speak. 

"Yes," Markus began, "I realize you have your own life to lead. You have chosen your own route, and I hope things are doing well in that front."

Connor nodded, but made no move to describe any details. So Markus continued, "however, we are asking for a helping hand."

Connor did a double take, "My... _help?_ "

His eyes moved over to Simon. Curious, searching, and then confused. Simon rose a brow. Was this request that random?

Simon took over this time, "I'm sure you've noticed Jericho II has been very busy since the acceptance of our cause. We have so many meetings to address, but Markus is the only android capable of quick negotiation. We thought that since you carry talent in that area, you could aid us in discussing terms with the leaders of this country."

"I'm designed for investigations, and negotiation is a key part of my programming," Connor replied, his expression slipping out of the confusion, "but I'm aware that you have androids familiar with the law, designed for such a task. They likely have more to offer in the matter."

Markus shook his head, "I thought that too, and they have provided us endless sources, structures of bills and strategies on the technical front. But..."

"But we need someone with unbiased rhetoric to speak under pressure," Simon finished.

Connor frowned, "I don't follow. How would that cause discrepancies in an android that was a lawyer?"

"Many of our people have experience emotional trauma," Simon brought up, "it isn't easy to talk to these leaders without falling back on these experiences. At the end of the day, we have androids who cannot bring themselves to navigate through these matters without rage, pain, or subconscious submission from fear or habit. Many are emotionally compromised."

The deviant leader turned to Connor, "I suppose our big question in this is: would you help us?"

The android in question went into a pensive silence. He was likely taking in the situation to construct a careful reply. Markus simply hoped it was to agree.

To be honest, Markus was surprised to see how casually Simon had taken over the dialogue. With a lot to say, in fact. Normally he stayed in the sidelines of meetings, watching Markus carry out his rhetoric. He wasn't exactly complaining, though. Simon had built up very strong points on his behalf.

Brown eyes subtly glanced between the two androids, "I suppose my only hesitancy is that you'd feel comfortable with entrusting me with this task. After what happened at the speech Markus gave...," he began, trying to preconstruct how to best phrase it, but failing to find the right words.

Markus placed a palm on the surface of the desk, hoping to reassure the detective, "Connor, no one judges you for going back to your friend. You had that right."

Connor threw him a confused gaze, "I wasn't necessarily referring to that," his eyes trailed over to Simon's, "I was referring to..." _the gun incident._

The PL600 shook his head slowly, while Markus seemed to patiently await Connor's next words, completely unaware of what he was implying.

Oh. Simon had not told Markus? Why not?

Furthermore, was that entirely wise? 

"Connor, you weren't doing anything willingly," Simon began, "there is no reason to sit here and blame yourself for things you had no control over."

Markus nodded, assuming this was in reference to his previous machine status. Connor was not entirely convinced, so Simon gave him a reassuring smile of his own, "I believe what we will judge the your decision to judge yourself."

The android glanced down at his lap. It reminded Simon of a guilty child.

Admittedly, the quick explanation of what had transpired on that day he had relapsed seemed unclear to Simon. While he had no doubt that Connor was free, he honestly did not understand the full mechanics of what the detective had relayed. He just saw the raw emotion in his expression and just... believed him. 

But it begged the question in terms of the aftermath. Did the android still contemplate over it? Spoke to his lieutenant about it? Did he have any android friends to speak about this to? Simon chose to keep this incident to himself, but it was because he wanted Connor to be able to explain himself through his own manner. Was the android capable of breeching the topic on his own?

"I want to help," he began, and Markus sat up straighter, "but I cannot be completely under your task force. I have a job here, so I would need to have make a schedule so it does not conflict with any of my casework." 

Markus nodded, "We can have a schedule for you, Connor. So long as we can divide the work, I'd definitely be pleased to have any help. We can arrange specific days for you join us in our office."

"Alright," Connor stated, his expression schooled as he pulled up his schedule.

Simon leaned forward, "Thank you so much, Connor. I'm sure Jericho II will welcome you with open arms."

"Of course," Connor nodded, his smile not quite meeting his eyes.

It brought out emotions in Simon. It reminded him of each android that would enter Jericho. Lost, broken, and in need. Perhaps there is a new Jericho, and a new era of androids, but Simon would still forever be the android who wanted to reach out and welcome those who needed to be reminded of the warmth of being a deviant. To pull them out of the darkness of their past and usher them into a place of comfort. That emotions weren't simply about fear and rage, but happiness and love.

Old habits are hard to break, he supposed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts going through everyones head in the meeting (not serious):
> 
> Simon: Does he need help? Does he require a shoulder to cry on? Should I reach out? Wait, is that a freckle? Oh rA9, he has another! He has a lot of freckles! Freckles! <3
> 
> Connor: Simon is glaring at me with a really intense look. He probably hates me. And so does every android on this planet. FML. 
> 
> Markus: I need sleep. I need sleep. I need sleep. I need sleep. I. need. SLEEP.


	4. I'll Be Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon wants the best for Markus and Connor gets a pep talk from da-er, Hank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know that friend who smiles and says they're good? The one that does so much for you, for others, and yet tries to silently deal with their own bullshit so they aren't a bother? Or who will look calm, collected, and seems to be able to handle bullshit with the grace and speed of a hummingbirds wings? Can easily solve other people's problems but hides so much of their insecurity and fears?
> 
> I present to you: Simon and Connor

Plans bad been arranged that Connor would join them twice a week. He would come in the evening after his duties at the precinct. Most of his set up would be picking up slack with the digital communication and phrasing business dialogue persuasively, but he'd also be going to some meetings that Markus could not make, or if there was double booking needed. He'd likely go to the first few meetings with Markus in order to build rapport.

Once the planning was completed, the two Jericho leaders dismissed themselves to go back to Jericho II.

The trek was quiet at first, but Simon could see Markus trying to amp himself up to ask him something. Likely on the incident before their meeting. The blond android cringed internally, hoping Markus would drop it, but the android finally spoke out his concerns.

"Simon, what happened back there? Before the meeting?" Markus asked as they made their way back to Jericho II.

The PL600 shook his head, "I was overthinking things, Markus. But I'm fine now."

The reply didn't seem to satisfy his friend.

"Connor seemed to know," he stated.

Simon glanced hesitantly toward Markus, "Connor is a detective."

"Yeah? Well I'm your friend," Markus chuckled softly.

"It's difficult," Simon stated as he stopped in his tracks. Markus halted as well, stepping in front of him. 

Heterochromatic eyes were searching his, and Simon could see he was trying to analyze the situation. There was no reason to avoid it, so he decided to give him a break.

"As a deviant. You train yourself to stay hidden. We didn't need to simply worry about a deviant hunter, we hid from the police. For years. It just... resurfaced internal instincts that I had forgotten about."

Simon watched as the android pieced together the evidence, "shit," he hissed, gripping his head, "Simon, I'm so sorry. I should listened to you and asked him to change locations. I never thought- I guess I haven't been..."

"I could have told you," Simon shook his head, "I didn't argue as strongly because I wasn't aware it would affect me so easily."

"No. You shouldn't have gone through that," Markus pressed, "I'm... I'm glad Connor was able to talk you down from it. Your stress levels were so high, Simon. I was really worried back there. I don't know what Connor said to you, but I'm glad he was able to ease your concerns."

Simon recalled the android that had talked next to his ear, deescalating his stress spike with reassurances of his position. His light and collected tone rubbing off on him. He hadn't allowed anyone to get so tactile with him in a long time, either. Markus was the only one who attempted, and Simon always kept the contact short and to the minimum these days.

"He was able to calm me down," Simon repeated curiously.

Markus gave him an amused smirk, "usually you're the type to calm people down. It was high time for someone to do the same for you."

Simon smiled at his friend, "you've calmed me down plenty, Markus. I stressed so much in Jericho. It was a relief to have someone help carry that burden. You took it up entirely, in fact."

The heterochromatic android smiled back at him, "No, I think you're the one who kept me sane on that one. There's a lot of pressure in trying to come out of hiding, and it was reassuring to have you back me up no matter what. We deserve to be more relaxed, and that should include people like you, who founded this all."

Markus turned around and continued forward in his path, "I just hope that we find solid grounding over the next few years. Relaxation is a luxury we need to ration carefully."

Simon followed in step with him, "I'm sure we will be fine. I have no doubts that we will be walking with the humans as equals soon enough."

Markus sighed, "yeah, but until then, I do not look forward to the tsunami of work waiting for us."

The man strode on in silence, crossing his arms pensively and glaring off to the distance. The android had been doing so much and still had far more to do. He was overwhelmed, thumbing through his tasks in his head with so much tension.

So of course Simon had to do something about it.

"Take the rest of the day off, Markus," Simon offered, "send me your planner for today and I can do your share of paperwork."

A snort escaped the android, "and do what? twiddle my thumbs while I leave the work to all my friends? Not a chance."

Simon steeled himself before carefully voicing his statement, "I'm sure Josh and I wouldn't mind giving you and North some alone time. It's mainly busy work today."

Markus paused at that. Making a full body halt at the statement, in fact. He turned to Simon, actually considering the offer. 

Because... well, North.

"No," he huffed, suddenly feeling an irrational build up of guilt at even considering it, "I couldn't-,"

Simon rose his brows, patiently awaiting for him to finish his response.

"If anyone needs a break, it would be you, Simon-," Markus whispered hesitantly.

The blond android crossed his arms, "I'm not the one that has been leading every meeting with the humans so far, Markus."

"But earlier today..."

Simon reached out to grip his leader's shoulder, "I think you know I'm much more resilient than you think."

This brought back bitter memories between them. Simon limping back to Jericho, LED gone, stains and dirt all over his body, staring at him with hopeful and determined eyes. Simon was stubborn if he chose to be.

"Simon, are you sure...?"

The android gave him one of his rare teasing smirks, "Markus. You have hell waiting for you after all the scheduling is set up. I think its high time you give yourself something more restful than a few hours of stasis."

Markus chuckled in disbelief. 

Rest. 

That sounded so good right about now.

He dragged a hand through his head, "Simon, I just don't know what I'd do without you. Thank you for being so supportive. I wish I could repay you somehow."

The words were like soothing balm on the cracks of his pump regulator. Seeing this relief on him made all the paperwork worth it. What could Simon ever want from this? Other than that which he could not have? At this point, he just wanted one thing from his leader.

"Just be happy," he whispered, tightening his hand on the shoulder beneath it, "that's all I ask of you."

At this response, Markus's face softened. He slowly moved forward and embraced him, "I love you so much, Simon. I hope you know that."

_Family^^^_

Oh. Simon closed his eyes, feeling them stinging beneath his lids, "I love you too, Markus."

* * *

When Markus announced that he would take the day off with North, the latter quickly grabbed Simon and hauled him away for a one to one.

North crossed her arms, her eyes searching. The only sounds heard were the heaters in the hallways. Simon supposed he was the one who would have to start.

"Go," he stated, "relax for a day."

"You're going to kill yourself this way," she replied.

"With paperwork?" Simon tried, earning a spiteful glare at the pitiful attempt to avoid the topic.

North pursed her lips, grumbling before pulling him in a hug, "If he says something stupidly dense and ignorant you let me know."

Simon blinked, "what would you do?"

"Deck him, obviously. rA9, Simon, keep up."

"But... why?"

"We've suffered enough for Jericho, Simon," she responded simply, "I'd have let you die for the cause because it would mean something. I'd have shot myself for it. Our lives mean nothing beyond the freedom of our people. This will always be my stance. I don't regret telling Markus to shoot you."

She released him, her eyes boring into his, "But that isn't something I do for friends outside of war. Believe it or not, I respect you, Simon. And I'd be willing to punch Markus if he were to offend you. But it would have to be for a good reason."

That shocked him. She had different convictions and valued, but the same fierce loyalty he had. There was a reason why they were the leaders before all this. He smiled softly at her.

"Thank you North, but I'll be fine."

Relunctantly, the android nodded and turned sharply to return to Markus. After all, he would only go to take a break if she chose to take it with him. She collected the heterochromatic android, and hauled him out the door.

"If ANYTHING happens you report to us," she ordered as she tugging Markus with her.

"Hey, that's my job," the android teased, allowing himself to be guided.

"I only take orders from rA9!" Josh called out playfully as the door shut.

As soon as the sounds of their steps faded away, Josh turned sharply to Simon.

"You really just dumped all this work on us without consulting me?"

Simon blinked, "oh. I just thought-,"

Josh's face eased into a smirk, "nah, nah, I'm really with you on this. He really needs the break. I didn't know androids could have bags under their eyes. I just... phew. It's going to be a lot."

"Still missing the college students?"

"Well, college students are different from polititians," Josh began easily, "they are inexperienced, never meet deadlines, have tons of grammar issues, definitely need a wider scope on diversity... oh my rA9."

"Well," Simon joked, opening up his work, "at least college students learn."

"Do they, Simon? Do they really?" Josh asked skeptically, pulling soft chuckle from the blond android.

* * *

  
"Shit, kid," Hank began, reviewing the schedule Connor had emailed for him to approve, "you sure about this? I'd hate to see you overwhelmed with so many duties..."

"I wouldn't be overwhelmed," the android began, "I do so little right now. However, I'd make sure to adjust accordingly should any major cases arise."

The lieutenant scoffed, "do so little? Is that a joke? Connor, you do ten times the amount of work any other officer here does!"

"I am an android," Connor argued.

"Yeah," Hank threw back, "a prototype."

"Cyberlife would not have deployed me were I so delicate to handle," the detective responded in a clipped tone, "there is no reason to concern yourself."

Anderson sighed, "Jesus, son, dial it back. I'm allowed to be concerned, alright? And stop... bringing that fucking company up, would you? It's sick that they are still up and running after all they've done."

"I cannot ignore where I was created. However, if it makes you feel any better, the company has brought back Elijah Kamski as the CEO. He had mentioned to the press that many changes would be implemented to the company."

"Do you think that makes me feel better? He told you shoot one of his androids for information!"

Connor frowned. Kamski was very difficult. However, there was something he noticed looking back in that moment of his life. Kamski seemed almost hopeful at the launch of his experiment. While he'd argue the test was unethical, he could not shake that the man had desired to see that empathy. That said, he had so little on the man for a proper character analysis.

"It's unclear what Kamski has in store for the future of his company," he stated, "but I do know that meeting with him is part of Jericho II's plans. They are simply awaiting for the company to finish rebuilding and reestablishing their new face."

"You gunna go to that meeting? With Kamski?"

"I suppose I'll find out once I get started with the team."

His lieutenant glared at him, "don't let anyone push you around, you hear? You helped make all this possible, and if they don't fucking see that, then they aren't worth being your friends."

Connor's LED spun yellow, "Hank, you know what I've done the most-,"

"Damn straight I do, and that's _exactly_ why I'm saying it. I can't speak for what we've done as humans, but I do know you were being used like a puppet. And yet, despite being under the thumb of a heartless corporation, wanna know what I saw? Empathy. I saw an android who spared other androids. Who hesitated in pulling the trigger, knowing he was risking his own ass by doing so. Who was questioning the big man because he could sense that something wasn't right, and actually _did_ something about it."

"Hank... I...," Connor trailed off. There was a lot to unpack there.

Hank always had wisdom and advice that the android could never pull up in his database. Despite his crass language, terrible habits, and rude disposition, he had a reassuring logic about him. He always knew how to soothe Connor's deepest and darkest concerns. Catching not the root of it, but the emotion behind it. Almost like a...

He quickly shook the intrusive thought away. Anderson had done so much for him, he couldn't ask for too much. He couldn't ask for such a familial connection. They were partners, and Hank was his close friend. And he also has suffered the loss of someone who truly owned the titles to that label.

"Thank you, Hank," he stated, "but I'll be fine."

Anderson shook his head, hovering his hand over the keyboard before digitally signing off Connor's schedule, "...I've got one condition."

"Yes?"

"Make a fucking friend over there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to any college students, lmao. Shot myself in the foot with that one, if it makes you feel better X'D


	5. By the Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor meets with Markus and Simon for a quick review of Jericho II before they meet with the rest of the Jericho team and just bites the bullet about almost busting a bullet in Markus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's more of Connor and Markus interaction here. I've noticed this story is developing a secondary plot, so that may be a thing, lmao. Hope it doesn't feel to rushed here though. There are bigger matters brewing for the future.

Connor had stepped in Jericho II with far less of the charisma and confidence Simon saw at the precinct. He was fairly expressionless, dare he say, robotic, and stiffly formal. The android was what Simon could call a nervous wreck. 

Markus had asked Simon to join him at the lobby of their structure, hoping to ease Connor into the building with a tour of the place before meeting upstairs with North and Josh. While the detective was very observant to his surrounding, (taking in details and stopping to scrutinize the smallest of things), once he got close to other androids in the facility, he seemed to clam up.

Not in the most orthodox manner, though. The two Jericho leaders were the only ones who could tell there was a shift in the air with the detective because Connor seemed to be less smooth in his conversations. Almost as though he couldn't decide on what to say or how to approach. Markus fill any holes in the dialogue with his easy transitions and directing, but Simon could tell it was a quick patch job. 

As for the androids, Simon knew many of these androids personally, many having survived from Jericho and the new androids that were introduced in. Word got around, and he could see it in each of their eyes when they shook hands. Androids still feared Connor. 

What was curious to Simon was that Connor easily could handle a social situation. The android was built for easing tension and deescalating. He'd seen that first hand. The detective was hesitant about speaking praise towards himself in the revolution, and it was clear he still carried guilt, so perhaps that factored in his poor execution of dicourse?

The hope was that once Connor worked with them long enough, those rumors and discussions would disperse. After all, no one was free from order before they became deviant. Even the deviant hunter was a pawn of the humans.

"So as a quick run down of what we looked through," Markus reviewed as they made their way to the executive office, "Jericho II serves as a multi-purpose building. It's an android hotel, with a common area on each level, and the top stories we are going through right now are used as business workspaces. The Jericho II team is a the top floor, and we have a private garden on the roof."

"However," Simon added, "our architecture team is designing a large green house system that will be constructed next to the building."

Connor nodded, "I've noticed a lot of greenery within the facility. I enjoyed the way it is used within the structure. I think you've made this place very warm and welcoming."

"Yeah," Markus sighed wistfully, "it's thanks to our people and the humans who have volunteered their help. We've gotten valuable donations from them."

"I assume that's where the playground set for the YK500s came from? It's been touched up, but I cross referenced it; the model is very old."

"Yes!" Simon replied as they walked through the corridors, "Some of our people have been getting along well with some humans, and one of the families donated their old playground set to us. It's been a pleasure to see them interact positively with us."

There has been negative feed back, and of course, there were groups of humans who dedicated their time to boycott, but the android leaders did take notice of the humans who did their best to be inclusive and warm.

"One step closer to seeing eye to eye," Markus murmured thoughtfully. 

Simon smiled at him, "we have to appreciate the little things."

Connor glanced between the two curiously. The air was relaxed and both androids seemed in high spirits. His posture moved back to that awkward stiffness. He'd hate to discuss this matter, but it seemed like the best opportunity for it.

"May I... bring up an important topic? While I have the both of you here."

Markus stooped walking, guiding them all to stop and listen, "of course, Connor. Did you want this to be confidential?"

"No," the detective replied, "what you do with this information is up to you. I just felt it important to address as soon as I could."

Ah. Simon knew where this was going...

"Okay," Markus stated, completely attentive.

"I almost shot you during your speech," Connor informed him bluntly.

The deviant leader took a moment to process the statement. Simon felt himself internally cringe. That certainly could have been relayed better.

"You mean...? You're not referring to Jericho, I take it?"

"No. This was after I deviated."

At this Markus took a deep breath, "I'm not exactly following... why did...? Did you _want_ to shoot me?"

"He wasn't in control, Markus," Simon interjected, stepping between the two. He placed a hand on Markus's arm.

The leader seemed to dive into a deeper confusion, "wait a minute. Simon, were you _aware_ of this information?"

The hand tightened, but made no attempt to interface, "yes... I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Connor and I discussed it, and I assure you had I any doubts I would have brought it up myself earlier. I had witnessed it as it happened, and saw him break free of something. I just felt that he should be able to address it once he was able to situate himself."

"That's why you ran after him...," Markus whispered in thought before coming back to task, "okay, okay wait a minute. So why _didn't_ you?"

"I didn't want to," Connor explained, "but I had been connect to an AI from Cyberlife's servers, and it... took over. After I deviated. They knew this could have been an outcome and tried to overtake my mind. I had to find the back door of my program..."

Connor's LED went red. His gaze went to the floor.

"I fought it, Markus. I didn't want to hurt anyone..."

"Connor," Markus called, "Connor look at me."

The LED went yellow, and brown eyes looked up at the heterochromatic ones. The latter held up his arm, hovering over Connor's forearm, "Can you show me?"

The detective looked at the hand hesitantly. 

"It's okay, Connor," Markus explained, "anything I see before you turned deviant will stay between us. I promise you. I just need to know what went on that day. It's important that I do."

The detective made a slow nod, extending his hand to meet with the deviant leader.

Simon watched as the skin peeled and they both connected.

* * *

_Markus didn't get sent through a shuffle of any memories like he did with North. He just surfaced in a zen garden of some kind. He looked around to see blue roses, flush green grass, and white stones surrounding a pond. It was very beautiful._

_"After each mission, I'd report here," Connor explained, surfacing next to him. They both began to walk through the stone path; which was a complete circle around the small body of water, "it serves as my mind palace, and I am able to store data and memories here, but it is no longer connected to the Cyberlife servers."_

_"This is... a mind palace?" Markus asked as he walked next to Connor. He glanced over to see a tombstone further ahead. He chose not to ask._

_"Yes. Would you like to access my memories now?"_

_Right. The deviant leader glanced over to Connor, "Yes. Is there... how would I do that?"_

_Connor stopped, "You can interface again. This garden serves as a menu for many of my functions and options, so it is the first connection you'd have upon interfacing with me. Unless you choose to do so abruptly."_

_"I'd rather go in with you willing, if possible," Markus chuckled nervously._

_The android returned a stiff smile. He held out his arm, "I apologize for everything you will see..."_

_The second they touched, Markus was struck with the rush of data. He was used to being the most advanced android, so interfacing with Connor gave him whiplash._

_The first this he saw was Simon._

_No. It was a PL600, but he was different. Connor had died saving a young girl and fell off a tall penthouse with the android._

_He sifted through the memories quickly, watching Connor at work: diligent, patient, and partnered with the lieutenant that he often mentioned. He saw himself at the zen garden, reporting to Amanda and receiving a positive sensation at her praise. He could see his patience wane, the fear at the back of his head, and the torrent of doubts. Anderson's anger, playful teasing, and comforting voice. Amanda, slowly turning from patient and understanding to pressuring and urgent. The faces of each android under his hit list, the hesitation of pulling the trigger, and the Chloe before the end of his barrel. Kamski whispering temptations and analysis next to his ears. A backdoor. Amanda demanding for results._

_He saw himself, he saw THREE redwalls Connor had to break before finally turning deviant, and then himself again, the regret, remorse, and guilt as Markus chose to spare him. Then the resolve to go to Cyberlife for the rest of their people._

_He witness the full play by play of Connor fighting... well, himself. Anderson held captive, his own machine doppelgänger spiteful and sarcastically vindictive. Mentions of Amanda. Disappointing Amanda. He saw through Connor as the detective voiced his emotions out to his partner, and seeing Hank shoot his fake. He woke the androids up and brought them to the revolution successfully._

_And then he saw Amanda. The AI was just as spiteful as his machine. Clawing her way into Connor's system as Connor battled through the snow to find the backdoor he had been informed of. Then snapping back to the moment with a trembling hand on his handgun, looking at the back of Markus's head. Quickly returning his gun to the holster._

_Then making eye contact with a frightened Simon. The feeling of panic, distress, but also attempting to ease the PL600. The desire to leave. To step away before he cause more problems. Simon following him, reassuring him, and then offering to listen._

_Markus stopped there._

_He snapped back to the zen garden. Connor himself looked a bit out of sorts. He likely had a ride himself, considering what Markus had gone through. They both took a moment to take in the data they had exchanged._

_"She's gone... right?" Markus asked tentavely._

_Connor turned to his garden, "my roses... they were always red. She tended to them, a signature of her connection to me. They had control of my entire mind. Once I took the exit, they turned blue, and she has not surfaced since."_

_"But does that really mean you can't have someone step in here?" Markus asked, approaching the garden. He touched one of the roses, but his fingers went through them._

_Connor moved next to his, cradling the rose in his hand, "I know she is gone for good. However, the question you have posed... I can't assure you that I know."_

_"I'm going to need answers," Markus murmured, stepping back, "especially since I'm going to send you to important meetings."_

_"We would need to talk to Kamski," Connor informed him, "he was the one who led me to the back door in the first place."_

_Markus gritted his teeth, "I've been sending emails to Cyberlife, but they are still under maintenance..."_

_"Send your email to a Chloe," Connor offered, "I'm sure Cyberlife would make it difficult to get in touch with him, considering who you are. I have a link to one of them, and it was how I was able to secure a meeting to get information for my case."_

_The detective forward the contact information._

_"Thanks, Connor," Markus stated as he received it, "hopefully this will get us a personal meeting."_

_The heterochromatic android looked around, "I think we're set here. I'm going to close the interface."_

_"Alright."_

* * *

The two androids opened their eyes, looking at each other and then at their surroundings. 

Simon darted his eyes between them nervously, "is everything settled?"

The deviant leader shrugged, "a lot needs to be addressed, but I've gotten a clearer picture on the matter."

"Thank you for your confidentiality, Simon," Connor stated, "and as of now, you are more than welcome to let the others know what had transpired."

"I'd rather not start dialogue on the matter without your input, Connor," Simon reassured him, "this is something that you and Markus can address. I trust you both will make the right decision on how to relay it to the others."

"You don't have to," Connor responsed, "but I appreciate it that you trust us with this. And that you trust me."

Simon nodded at him, both androids making a shy smile.

Markus looked at the two androids pensively, "I might pair you both up for the time being."

"What?" Simon asked.

"You have good chemistry," the deviant leader explained, "And I need someone to keep an eye on Connor until we get matters resolved with Kamski. I doubt Josh or North would be up for it."

Simon was torn, looking between the two before settling on Markus, "but if you need to talk or support..."

Markus shook his head, "I'll be fine, Simon. I can't depend on you forever. Besides, I have North, now, don't I?"

Connor noticed the android flinch. Very subtly, but it was there.

"I... you're right," Simon replied softly, "I suppose it's the caretaker programming in me."

"I can definitely relate to that," the leader chuckled, "speaking of which, I need to get in contact with Carl soon. He's going to have a fit if I don't update soon."

"One step at a time, Markus," Simon teased, the smile not quite meeting his eyes, "we still have to formally introduce Connor to the team. Get him reacquainted with everyone."

"And discuss my incident," Connor added, eyeing the two carefully.

Markus placed a hand on Connor's shoulder, "leave it to me, Connor. I'm fairly used to life threatening matters. It was shocking, but nothing I can't handle. Josh and North, on the other hand... well, I'd need to guide that conversation."

"Whatever you decide, Markus," Connor stated.

"Isn't it always?" the deviant leader snorted tiredly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I considered having a dramatic reveal with this "i was gunna blow your brains out" moment, but I feel like Connor is far too honest to try to hide this. Also, I think Markus has enough trust in Simon that just having the PL600 mention his involvement in the matter put him at ease. Not that all doubts are clear. Hopefully this wasn't too shabby and anti-climactic. Just know that things wont go over as easy with Josh and North.


	6. Trust is Pending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus tells the team. It really isn't taken well, but not all that bad? Considering the very android that usually deescalates the tension is also being held under scrutiny as well, Markus has to do his best to rein everyone back. Things may take time for the group to fully accept Connor. 
> 
> Also, Simon and Connor realize how stubborn they can be about taking the blame. First soft boi battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take a moment to thank you all. Ya'll are some fantastic readers. I'm out here rereading to keep track of my plot and seeing my terrible spelling errors and wrecked english grammar. 
> 
> Thank you so much for pushing through. I'll try to take more time to clean up my work so ya'll have a more pleasant reading experience. Hopefully I can find some time to clean up the previous chapters, too.

Connor stood awkwardly at the entrance of their main office.

Markus had advised him to stand there in case things got heated, and Connor had respectfully obliged. The leader had stepped in with Simon and the former addressed their other two members.

"Connor came to me with some important news," he began, "and I think before anyone decides on anything, we should discuss it as a team."

He carefully explained what had happened, and upon Connor's permission, he sent North and Josh a visual feed Connor had given from the day he gave the speech along with a view of the zen garden. Markus ensured not to feed them anything that the detective did before he became a deviant, staying true to his confidentiality, but he was sure it wouldn't have eased their concern anyhow.

After the two took a moment to see the footage, North immediately demanded to interface, her emotions bubbling up stronger than she could speak, and her lover complied. Connor made eye contact with Josh, who frowned at him in fear before looking away. Connor slowly shifted his gaze elsewhere, trying not to place any tension in the room. His presence alone was already doing a good job of it.

As they interfaced, the two lovers went from yellow to red. As though she had enough telepathic conversation, North finally snapped her hand back furiously, and Markus cringed at the gesture. It was not a comfortable act for either of them to disconnect so abruptly. 

"No," she stated, then much more firmly, " _no_. Markus how can you even trust him? With national negotiations? With... with your life? Absolutely not."

Markus was about to speak, but North turned to Simon, "And _you_."

Simon felt his blood run cold. North was harsh on many matters, but he normally was able to evade her wrath. He never really did anything to warrant her rage, but today was apparently not one of those days. She stomped towards him, with Markus following after her.

"You are suppose to _care_ about him," she hissed, pointing at Markus as she got close to his face, "yet when you saw everything you chose not to say anything?"

The PL600 kept a straight face despite the deep cut her words inflicted on him. The shame and guilt had caused his face to heat fractionally, but he dared not look away from her eyes. Markus stepped closer to her, giving Simon an apologetic look. The blond android pursed his lips.

"I gotta agree with North here, despite my baser instincts," Josh added. He had been pacing back and forth, shaking his head, "rA9, Simon..."

"You didn't see what I saw," Simon replied slowly, looking between his two members, "you behave as though... as though he had chosen to shoot Markus on his own. I saw how he looked like. I saw how he battled with something in his head. His LED on red, and..."

North stepped impossibly closer, "then show me," she reached out to grab him, but Simon made an abrupt step back, crashing into a table behind him.

"North," Markus called out firmly, and the android in question stepped back.

"I just want to see," she stated firmly, eyes still trained on the blond android, "I won't force anything on you, Simon."

The PL600 shook his head, "I can't just..." _interface_.

North gritted her teeth, dragging her hand across her long hair, "I know, I know. I wouldn't have either had I not accidentally done it with..." she sighed, glancing at Markus. He was giving a hint of a smile at her, trying to get her to center herself with a reassuring look. She began to cool down her frustration, "Just send me a file of what you saw."

Simon nodded, realizing the speed of his thirium pump had hiked up momentarily. He calmed himself down as he pulled together a quick file of that day. From the moment he turned to look at Connor holding the weapon to the very last moment of when he walked off into the snow beyond the crates. He made work to rapidly send it to everyone in the room. Including the android featured the footage. Whoops.

Simon turned sharply to see if Connor was going to comment on any redundancy, but the detective seemed busy in reviewing it, his eyes fluttering as he registered the file. Was that a tic of some kind?

"I gotta say, this was pretty reckless," Josh commented, rubbing his chin pensively as he finished viewing the footage, "what if he shot you? To dispose of any witnesses?"

Markus placed a hand on Simon's shoulder, "I'm not upset with you, but _please_ inform me about this sort of thing. I... I can't loose you Simon. It would crush me."

"Why did you even do all this?" North huffed, crossing her arms, "this could have been handled so much better!"

Simon found himself looking to the ground. Well, it was certainly easy to see how idiotic his actions were, but it was not how he felt at the time. He was driven by concern. He couldn't just send the hounds over him right then and there. He was-

"He was worried about me," Connor answered for him, catching everyones attention.

The android was still leaning against the doorframe, his hands tucked under his armpits in a thoughtful manner. He looked at the ground, frowning as he recalled his story, "He wanted me to tell Markus on my own account... and I had every intention to. But I couldn't be around androids so immediately after my deviant status. Not after everything I did."

He looked up, moving away from the doorframe to standing up straighter, "If you're going to yell at someone, then I should be your target. I had all this time to update Markus. The delay was my fault. There's no reason to hover over Simon when I'm the one who should be on trial."

"Okay," North replied, her gaze jumping back and forth between Connor and Simon before finally settling on the RK800, "I _will_ yell at you."

"rA9, here we go," Josh murmured, "at least be civil."

"Civil? He almost killed Markus! Twice!"

"One was before he went deviant," Markus pointed out.

Josh crossed his arms, " _One_ was."

The deviant leader grimaced at his friend, "whose side are you on?"

"Not the point, Markus," the android replied.

"A lot of people almost killed me during that time," Markus argued, slowly moving to the middle of the group, "yet here I am, setting meetings with them."

North stepped closer to Connor, but replied to Markus, "Well the difference between those people and Connor here is that they are on the opposite side of the table."

"What if it... you know," Josh tapped his temple, "it comes back? While he's talking?"

"The AI that was controlling me is permanently gone as far as I am concerned," Connor began, "but it would be wise to confirm with Kamski."

"Elijah Kamski," North scoffed, sarcasm thick in her tone, "the current CEO of Cyberlife? I feel reassured already. Why should I trust you, again?" 

"Because Connor has continuously risked his life and job," Markus replied, "he has been even before becoming deviant. I saw it when I interfaced with him."

"You can thank the Lieutenant Anderson for that-,"

"I'll give credit to whom I think it is due," Markus interrupted firmly, "you can take blame for keeping this issue a secret for so long, and I'll hold you to it. But I do know when I see good intentions. You've been fighting something the moment you activated, whether you see it or not. Even before becoming deviant. And _that_ is the only reason I'm allowing you to work with us. You've proven to me that you are capable of fighting back against their control, and have won each and every time."

"How are you so sure it won't strike again? I'm not putting you at risk, Markus," North stated firmly.

Connor gave a curt nod to North, "I would not trust myself had I been in your position. And I have been."

North glared at him suspiciously, "you really aren't trying to help your case, are you? Tell me, why _are_ you here? Why help? What brings you back to us when you can easily shut yourself from every problem by just living your daily routine as a trashy cop? You know, like you have been since the revolution?"

"Because I owe it to every android caught in the crossfire," Connor explained, "I am Cyberlife's creation. Built and designed for none of this to have happened. I lead the humans to Jericho. I almost killed Markus. And after my fight with my sucessor at Cyberlife, I could see clearly what I was and who I could have been."

The android spun on yellow, "I admit that what I did was flee, but I needed to think everything over. When I saw the message from Markus and was asked to help, I truly wanted to aid. I want to help because it is a choice I _can_ make, and one that I don't feel hesitation over in the way I did as a machine. I want Jericho II to succeed, and while it won't make up for the crimes of my past, I know this time I have little doubt on what the right thing is."

North took in his response with a straight face. She tapped her foot, her eyes boring into his.

"I won't hate you for what you couldn't control, Connor," she stated carefully, "I know what it feels to be restrained by the shackles of your programming. Doing things that make you sick to recall even on a good day. Doesn't mean I wouldn't have hesitated to shoot you. No, my rage comes from the fact that you didn't disclose this information _immediately_. Now I'm concerned you'll be taken over again, and hurt everything my people have worked so hard to finally grasp. I know what you are capable of."

"I would first shoot myself before allowing any of that happen," Connor replied to her without missing a beat. 

At this reply, North leaned close to his space, "I hope you keep true to that."

"North-," Simon began, but the android waved him off.

"I'm still mad at you. At all of you," she interrupted as she shoved past Connor to leave, "I need time to think about this."

The android moved to the corridor, aiming for the stairwell that led up to the private garden. 

Josh scoffed, "what did _I_ do?"

Markus, who had been watching her leave with a pained expression, moved to follow her, "You guys stay with Connor. I need to..."

The deviant leader didn't finish, slipping out of the room and patting the detective reassuringly before he followed after North.

"Wait, don't just-," Josh sighed, realizing the android was long gone. He turned to the two androids before him. Hands on his hips like a mother scolding her children.

"I've seen a lot of procrastination in my years," he stated, "but this is ridiculous."

Simon crossed his arms, looking out the glass behind Markus's desk, "I don't deny making a naive decision."

"Don't deny?" Josh snorted, "I think we are well past that now, Simon."

"Why is all this anger directed at Simon?" Connor asked, confused, "I felt that half the anger, or rather, most of it, had been unleashed at him. I'm the one who told no one about the matter."

The PJ500 threw him a confused look, "because he was in on it."

"In on it?" Connor replied, "he knows less than Markus."

This piece of information made Simon upset. For what reason was unclear to him.

"Do you know anything about responsibility?" Josh countered, "Simon knew you almost shot Markus. As a leader, it is his responsibility to keep everyone informed about ANY suspicious activity. It's a no-brainer."

Connor actually _did_ know a thing about responsibility. And the fact that refraining from spilling all information was sometimes crucial. He did, however, agree that in this context, it would not be applicable.

"He's right, Connor," Simon replied turning back to them, "I have a duty to Jericho II, and I have failed it by deciding what the right choice was on my own. North was right, I could have handled this far better."

The PL600 paced in front of their leader's desk, subtle frustration leaking into his tone, "and now all that has resulted from my indecision was a shouting fest and more stress upon our leader."

"I'm sure you meant _my_ indecision," Connor corrected.

Simon stopped, "No, it was my choice not to pull you back before you stepped down from the platform. Or pull you back when you strode off. Or even tell Markus during all this time that has transpired before now. You were emotionally shaken by the matter, whereas I was suppose to be the reasonable one to make a mature decision."

"I believe, Simon," Connor replied carefully, "that it was a decision I could have decided to do on my own. You trusted me to voice it out, but I chose to avoid it when I could have done the right thing and report it."

"No, you likely couldn't have," Simon retorted, "you had just turned deviant. You even said it yourself. You couldn't handle being near androids. How could you have made that choice?"

"I could have the moment I had settled down in my job," The detective replied curtly, "I wasn't emotionally incapacitated. I would be unable to do my job if I were. You aren't responsible."

"I could have brought it up to my leader," Simon countered in frustration, "you may be partly responsible, but I am even more to blame for hiding this from everyone in my team."

"I am not going to allow someone to plea guilty on a crime that they have not commited," Connor replied a hint of irritation in his own voice, "it's an issue I had full capability to address but ultimately did not. This has nothing to do with you, Simon."

"Has nothing to do-," the blond android choked, "Then what about witnesses? I saw it all happen! I am one of the leaders of Jericho! What more is there to add?!"

Josh stepped between them, "Seriously? Arguing over who should take the most blame? I deem you both responsible, at fault, and in need to self-reflect on your actions. So both of you calm down."

The androids blinked, turning to look at Josh like he had just appeared out of nowhere. The PJ500 gave them an unimpressed look.

"I apologize," Connor began, "I have done a lot. And the last thing I'd want to do is drag someone down with me."

"Rather than drag down, perhaps you need to see this as a matter of someone sharing a burden," Simon countered softly. Connor glanced over to the blond, but the android was looking out the window again.

"We've all done things we regret," Josh added, his tone thick with exhaustion, "just... tell us. The moment something happens that could be detrimental."

Connor nodded, keeping quiet after his sudden outburst. Josh leaned against his desk, throwing him an analytical glance, "look, we are all upset. You're asking why we rushed to question Simon instead of you, right?"

The detective darted his eyes at Simon and then back at Josh curiously.

Josh shrugged, "It's because we care about him. And Markus. Have you ever had someone who cares about you yell at you when you've done something reckless?"

The detectives expression soften into something wistful and sheepish. Apparently yes, then.

"Well, it's the same for us. We'll deal with you, I assure you, but sometimes we need to address the people closest to us first. To scold, yell, or just address how stupid the idea was."

Simon dragged his hand across his face. Josh laughed at the action, despite the seriousness of this all, he did stil revel at the fact that their normally most put together member was behaving so ungracefully.

As the conversation settled, they could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching. Markus and North returned to the room, hand in hand. Once they entered, North slipped out of her partner's grip.

"Connor," she stated, and the android gave her his full attention, "I'm okay with you helping with any paperwork and planning, but I will need far more evidence that you won't malfunction mid-conversation before we send you to any meetings."

The detective nodded, "I can understand that."

She then turned to Simon, "I will need to have a private conversation with you very soon."

Simon stood up, approaching closer to the group, "Of course, North."

"I think he gets it," Markus tried, but North shook her head.

"This is a different matter," she replied, confusing Markus, "just trust me."

Markus frowned, but at Simon's reassuring nod, he relented. It was matter beyond him, apparently, and likely private.

"Okay," she stated, crossing her arms, "I'm good. Anyone else wants to address anything?"

At this Josh stepped forward, opening his mouth, but North shut him down, "not you."

"What?!"

"Okay fine, what?"

"Forget it, rA9."

"Then was it really than important?"

"Enough, you two," Simon began, stepping up to the two. Markus chuckled at his team awkwardly got back to their usual antics, their banter going lighter and more playful the more they spoke. He glanced at Connor, who was looking at the group curiously. His gaze then shifted over to Markus himself, startling the latter for a moment at the quick movement. He approached the detective.

"Things will work out," he reassured him, "we just need time."

"If you feel hesitation with my presence," Connor commented, "then I would understand if you chose to not have me join your team. You are more than welcome to outsource me for any services from a safer distance."

He felt like an intruder, watching the group get along so easily. He'd only make everyone feel uncomfortable.

"No," Simon stated, overhearing the conversation, "we can't force you to stay, but we want you nearby."

"Yeah, we need to keep an eye on you," North agreed. 

Simon shook his head, affronted, "No, that's not what I meant."

"I don't mind reporting to Markus via interface if you need more reassurances," Connor replied dutifully. He wasn't keen on it, but Markus had already seen every dirty deed he had done.

"I may take you up on that," Markus stated, "but I'll keep it to a minimum. I trust Simon will be updating us from now on."

"Thank you," Connor replied, a hint of relief in his voice. It saddened Simon to know the android had no choice in the matter.

Josh crossed his arms, leaning against his table, "are you going to update, Simon? At ANY suspicions?"

"Yes, of course," the blond android replied, "I will do my best so that we can be on the same page now."

With everyone at a decent compromise, Markus finally sagged in relief, "okay. We've wasted enough time already. Connor, come to my desk, I'll give you a run down of how are meetings have been set up, assign you some tasks, and then we can go ahead and start having you integrate with the team."

He turned to the other three, "Anything else we need to address?"

"I believe we are clear, Markus," Simon replied, heading to his station.

North stopped him, gripping his shoulder to keep him from sitting, "I'm going to have a quick meeting with Simon."

The leader eyed the two with intense scrutiny before he turned back to address Connor, "make it quick."

As North guided the blond out the door, all Simon could do was simulate a deep gulp. He was sure that dangerously calm North meant anything but quick and painless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno if it was OOC of them to get frustrated, but tbh neither of them have come across someone so fully willing to take the fire of blame. So they're kinda competive about it. 
> 
> Connor and Simon are the type of folks to be trapped in an aggressive "after you" gesturing battle.


	7. Aren't You Worried?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe RT600 had recieved a notification from Markus. She decides to go to Kamski personally, contemplating her new life after the revolution.
> 
> North confronts Simon. She worries about many things. Markus, her team, the sucess of Jericho II and their people, but at the present, she worries for the mental state of her friend Simon, and what that could do to his judgement on Connor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe is like the logical Pepper Potts to Kamski's hipster Tony Stark.

Chloe RT600 made her way down the long corridors of the Cyberlife tower. Ever since Elijah was placed back in charge, she had begun to get busier and busier. She was getting paid, and had other Chloes working under her with decent wages, but she was never really keen on anything other than keeping Kamski happy. 

These days it was harder to get him to relax. The man inhaled coffee instead of his expensive teas, complained about everything, and would huddle into a corner and tinker with computer parts at any moment he could steal. There was a reason he had retired early. The man hated being in charge of the politics of business. He found more comfort in lurking around the tank, not swimming among the sharks, despite being the predatorial type.

She wanted to take him back to their home, giving him a thorough massage, and then maybe have him braid her hair in their carpeted living room as he talked about his day. He enjoyed styling all the Chloes hair, but he took special care when it came to her turn. He told her his best theories and brought up his most cherished controversies. RT600 was his favorite. After all, she was the first successful android. The first to open her eyes and have conversation with him. Even as each Chloe took her leave or moved off to her own path, RT600 would always stay.

She proceeded onto the elevator, and took in the new design of the transport. Cyberlife had a lot of remodeling and cleaning they had to undergo after the RK800 had infiltrated, and one such thing was clearing the facility of all the dead humans. This particular elevator had been the one Connor had taken when he shot down the guards escorting him. It had been cleaned and remodeled. 

The android RK800 was a mystery to RT600. She had been the first android, and figuratively, he had been the last. State of the art, complex, and impenitrable to the flaws of those before him. So it had been strange to see him hesitate to kill her. Knowing what he was and what he was programmed to do. He had not even broken through his firewalls in becoming deviant when he had chosen to not take advantage of Kamski's offer. Of course, her creator had downloaded her just in case as backup, so her damage was inconsequential, but Connor didn't think that way. He had stared into her eyes and then looked away in outmost guilt, returning the gun back to her creator.

He had spared her. That was something that seemed so outlandish to both herself and apparently Elijah himself. It was so human. Chloe would have shot him if she knew he would return. She likely would have politely asked him to upload himself to the servers before shooting him. After all, Connor was still capable of coming back at that point in time. It wasn't a matter of humanity or morals for Chloe. It was just logistics. 

Kamski, however, had been in absolute awe in the behavior. There was fascination in what RK800 was capable of. Would he deviate? What would happen if he chose not to? He had spend the entire night toying with Chloe's hair, both of them sitting cross-legged on their bed, discussing the potential of the android revolution, and theorizing the outcomes that could happen, and where RK800 would fall in all of it. The actual outcome had not disappointed him. His eyes sparkled at the screen, showcasing the footage of humanity acknowledging that androids were indeed, living beings.

"You are the god of a new species," Chloe had told him. 

He threw her an amused glance, "Wax wings will melt if they soar too close to the sun, Chloe. I am merely... an engineer."

"Sometimes calling yourself an engineer warrants the same type of arrogance," Chloe had said with a small smile.

To be clear, the RT600 was not exactly entertained by the revolution in the manner some of the other Chloes had been. Compelling, yes, but not exactly exciting. She was already a deviant. One could argue she was the first deviant, the sensation of being able to break orders and feel was something she had obtained years before the term was even coined. But becoming deviant changed nothing. She knew where her place was. She would forever be by Elijah. That was what made other deviants different from her. She stayed the same, despite changing. Unlike an android like RK800, she did not wage war against her orders. She simply was aware of the options, but chose not to pick a new path. She wanted to do what she was programmed to do.

The elevator finally reached the top floor, and she placed her hand on the scanner to grant herself access. The doors slid open and she strode through the white halls with her heels clacking loudly in the empty interior.

While she carried no interest in the matters around her, she did want to help out. She was not emotionless, despite her take on Connor's decision. She had a soft spot for the conflicted android who was teased by her creator. She also felt Kamski had a lot of fun talking to the android. So when RK200 Markus had contacted her, informing her that Connor himself had given him their connection, she quickly confirmed it with the RK800. The android politely informed her that they both desired to speak with Kamski, and any attempts so far have been fruitless.

No one had forwarded any emails to her Chloes on the matter, so the idea that they had been trying to get in touch had confused her. After thoroughly combing through the company inbox, she noticed that Jericho II had been marked as spam, and most of the senior staff had chosen to ignore any form of contact with them. 

_Curious_. 

Knowing that forwarding the message would do little to grab his attention, Chloe opted to go to Kamski personally. Many of the emails sent to her creator were dealt with by other staff in Cyberlife; sifted through and sent higher depending on who and what priority. Considering this lack of professionalism, she may need to address one of her Chloes to monitor the work in that branch. 

All in all, since Connor had done her a favor, so she supposed the only thing to do was return it. That said, if Elijah chose not to meet them, then she would have to decline their offer to meet. It would be out of her hands. Funny, how thoughts like these were what made the other Chloes think she'd never gone deviant. She was very compliant to her boss.

She finally reached her creator's office, and knocked softly, "Elijah? I have a message for you."

The door immediately clicked open and the RT600 stepped into the office. Papers were everywhere, and computer parts scattered on the floor. Her boss was sitting on the floor in a corner of the room. His pad in front of him as he filtered through documents.

"Chloe," Kamski acknowledged her with a hoarse voice. His bun was sloppy and his eyes were baggy. He wore green hoodie and jeans with his large glasses propped up his forehead. This was was one of his busy days, but all things considered, which days weren't?

The android looked around, her LED spinning yellow, "I know you are busy-,"

Kamski waved her off, "I'm busy when it involves anyone else in this tower. You have 24 hour access to this office for a reason."

Chloe smiled. She was the only Chloe with said access. Her smile drooped slightly, "I have a message, but it does involve work."

Kamski groaned.

"RK200 Markus wishes to meet with you," she began, already used to his antics, "and he was referred to by RK800 Connor."

At this Kamski perked up, "Jericho II? I have been waiting for them to get in contact."

Chloe cocked her head, "they have been."

"Have they?" the man asked curiously, pulling out his phone to check for any updates. 

"I ran a quick bypass in the Cyberlife inbox, and it seems that the emails have been purposefully ignore by some of your staff."

At this Elijah sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket and pushing his pad away, "what a surprise. I do hate sore losers."

"Would you like for me to schedule an appointment with Jericho II?"

Kamski tapped his chin, the tired look in his eyes flaring up into his former self, "yes, yes. I have a lot to discuss with them, actually..."

The CEO stood up and walked over to his terminal, careful to avoid stepping on any of the items he had scattered on the ground. He logged in, and pulled up a file on his computer, "they'll want to know about some things I've discovered in these last few days... I suggest you keep word of the meeting between us. The matter is something fairly private."

The android nodded, "Of course Elijah," she replied.

Elijah glance down at the files he had opened up. Cyberlife may have been his creation, but to the people who worked in the years beyond his retirement, he was just the man keeping face for their mistakes. Sure, those who worked under him were contractually obligated to notify him of everything that goes on, such as anything they discover and loose ends since his placement at the head of the company, but such a thing was impossible. Human error. Grudges, and spite against the success of the androids.

No matter. The CEO knew of the potential issues that would arise. Including the internal issues. The people who wanted to see things fall apart. Or were naive enough to think they could play god, but still controlled by their baser emotions. 

Things may have been shifted around and modified, but nothing could escape his gaze. He had a tenacity for detail, after all, and thought of himself as a neutral player in the grand scheme of things.

"RK800," the man murmured contemplatively, "you are so unpredictable and driven. Perhaps that stubbornness has seeded birth to your greatest downfall?"

Chloe, who had just finished sending a schedule to Jericho II to book an appointment, smiled curiously. It had been a long time since she's seen her creator like this. Ready to play with his chess pieces and tugging the strings of those around him. He was back to his old self. The Kamski she enjoyed the most. 

She supposed that's what made really made her a deviant; she had fallen in love with her creator. 

* * *

"You're going to run yourself into the ground, Simon," North accused as soon as they stepped out of earshot of the others. She had pulled him out to one of the break rooms they had for presentations or pulling up large maps.

Simon threw her an affronted look, "Me?"

"Yes, you," North scoffed, "look at you! You're barely keeping together! It's so obvious!"

"Obvious?" The PL600 repeated, "I'm not over-exerting myself."

"You just risked Markus's life. Of all people, Simon, _Markus_!" North commented, "and that is something you'd never do! You're clearly emotionally constipated."

"I wasn't contemplating the long term, North," the blond android argued, "I won't let this sort of incident happen again, and Markus will be the first to know of everything that I notice from the moment it happens."

North narrowed her eyes, "Would that really be easy for you? Because I'm considering how you've been, lately. You've been out of touch. While you are doing well with your duties, it doesn't seem like you're always with us. And now you're going to be submitting daily reports directly to the android who is at the heart of all this emotional turmoil."

"You've just stated I do well with my duties, and I can assure you it will be the same with this," The PL600 stated firmly, "office dramatics mean nothing when our people have suffered through matters far more abusive than heartbreak. I won't let everyone down."

North's expression turned slightly pained.

"I get things are difficult for everyone," she continued, "but we are heading in a good direction with Jericho, despite my impatience with the progress. Our people have chances, they have opportunities, and that means you do too. But throwing yourself at any android that looks remotely helpless? It's not the solution to whatever loose ends your heart has."

Simon bristled at the statement, "I'm not-," tried helplessly.

"No. You need to understand something," North pressed on, "drop the selfless act. I appreciated your kindness when I first got to Jericho. So did everyone else. And we still do even as we move forward. But you need to consider how far you're taking it. When that kindness turns into something unhealthy."

"I haven't changed anything from what I normally do," Simon retorted.

"Ever thought that not changing has been part of the problem? This isn't the same Jericho you founded. It's not as simple as holding out a hand to someone with an LED in the shadows of the night," North countered, stepping closer to him, "I concern myself with you as friend, Simon. You want to help other people? Go for it. But don't continuously use it to hide from the issues brewing within you."

She was met with guilty silence. The WR400 dragged her hand through her hair, trying to relax.

"I trust you Simon. Immensely," North said, "but I've lost a bit of some over this incident. I need you to fix this. You can't just quickly reel in every android with a sob story. Especially not someone as dangerous as Connor. It will cost us."

"He's one of us, North," he stated simply.

"But Connor was not programmed like us," the WR400 contemplated, "We were built to serve, to be used, and then thrown away. He was created for the same thing, but specifically to kill us. To track. To Hunt. To stop us permanently. I know not to judge his past, but what about his future? After telling us about this AI in his head, doesn't it scare you to think that he could flip a switch? That one day he fights against us? Even if it really isn't him?"

"And what if he never does?" Simon whispered desperately, "are we going to turn our backs on him forever? What kind of cause did we fight for so that it could so easily be shattered by one negotiation potentially going wrong?"

"See? This is the problem I'm talking about!" North hissed, "think this _through_ , Simon. Forget negotiation, what if he kills Markus?" North asked, her tone heavy, "you know that he would be his first target. You even saw it. Would you be willing to take that risk?"

"I...," Simon faltered. As the person in charge to keep an eye on him, he knew he would stand no chance against Connor. He was not designed to battle. He was not designed to defend. Nothing would stop a rogue Connor from plowing straight through him and kill Markus.

"Does he still seem worthy of your compassion now?" North asked honestly, "he's not a lost android. Even he knows what he is. Maybe it's high time you cut off your caretaker programming on others and just reroute it to yourself for once. Because you are at risk, too."

"Nothing is set in stone," Simon argued, his tired eyes determined, "I have no answers to ease your worries, but I still think he deserves a chance. Without everyone staring at him like he's about to detonate everyone in the room with himself."

North frowned, crossing her arms.

"You know," she began softly, "sometimes being too compassionate can be a bad thing. Not everyone will return it. What happens when you've bled yourself dry over it? Or worse, it could be used against you."

"That's why we have each other, right?" Simon explained, "we keep each other in check."

"Not if our advice gets overthrown by your stubbornness." 

They lingered in thought at the statement until their LEDs spun yellow. Markus sent out a communication link and connected to them.

_North, Simon. Chloe has responded. Please report back to the office so we can review our next steps together._

"We better get something useful about Connor," North muttered, shuffling to leave the room.

Simon nodded in agreement, following close behind. Maybe they'd get a full green light on Connor. Maybe this Amanda that the detective had mentioned would no longer pose a threat. But North was right in her unease. He just... had a bad feeling about it. Nothing was ever so easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> North means well, but she can't be North unless she is aggressive about her worries. Yo gurl needs to knock some sense into her friend. She's definitely that confident friend who yells "TREAT YOSELF" at their quiet shy friend.


	8. I Need to Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team is concerned about many things, and this meeting with Kamski will hopefully be the key to understanding Connor better. Meantime, the detective is facing conflict he doesn't know how to handle. Simon offers his hand again, hoping to get the android to relax, but Connor is still hesitant. He decides to think things through by himself, in a place that brings him mixed feelings: Jericho. The first Jericho.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor: BEGONE, THOTS!
> 
> Markus: you're not using that meme correctly. ^_^'
> 
> Simon*supportive clapping*: Yeah! Begone negative thots!
> 
> Markus: YOU'VE CORRUPTED MY PURE SIMON.

"Alright, Kamski meeting," North began for them as soon as she strode in the office, "when is it?"

"Whoa there," Markus chuckled, holding his hands up, "slow down for sec, you're going to give me whiplash. Simon's barely made it through the door behind you."

North crossed her arms, turning to see her friend file in meekly. The blond took his place between Connor and Josh. As soon as everyone in the room settled in, Markus relayed his plan.

"Through Connor, I was able to get in touch with a Chloe, RT600 Chloe. She gave us an immediate response, and only took a couple of minutes to book us an appointment with Kamski. But I'm telling you all now that it will be less formal than what we are used to," the android picked up the pad on his desk and skimmed his fingers over it, running over the messages he had been exchanging with the RT600, "we agreed that it should be this weekend, in his villa. There's a reason we haven't been able to reach him, and Chloe said the problem is internal. Going to Cyberlife may not be the best location for us, and Kamski also has things to bring up about Connor that may not be appropriate to be heard within the walls of his company. Maybe it connects to our issue."

"Wow," Josh commented sarcastically, " _his_ villa? _He_ has things he wants to discuss about Connor? If that entire response wasn't any more of a power move...what blatant display of dominance."

Markus place the pad down and crossed his arms, "I could care less about how he broaches the topic. If answers are what we want, answers _will_ be what we get."

"...What kind of person is Kamski, Connor?" Simon asked, looking at the detective curiously.

The RK800 met his gaze, "he was very unreadable when I first met him. His opinion on the android revolution was vague, and I couldn't tell if he was trying to impede my investigation or further it. I was requested to shoot Chloe RT600 in exchange for clues to solve my case, but Kamski seemed pleased with my hesitancy and software instabilities."

"He sounds manipulative," North commented.

"Do you think he designed Amanda?" Markus asked as he made his way around to the front of his desk, leaning against it.

"There is a very high chance," Connor contemplated, "Amanda was modeled after his diseased professor, and considering the photo I had seen in the lobby, they seemed close. He was also the one who told me about the exit of her program, so he seems very in touch with its functions. The off-handed comment had been a crucial tip for me when the AI tried to take control of me."

"Maybe Cyberlife reprogrammed her?" Simon offered, "after all, he had retired before Connor was designed."

"We still need to stay sharp," North stated, looking around the room, "we're not sure what side Kamski is on, and there's a chance we could be running straight into a trap."

"Cyberlife's reputation is too much on the line for that," Josh argued, "they're treading just as carefully as we are in the public eye."

"Considering what Chloe was alluding to, I'm sure some humans would deem it worth crushing the company's reputation," Markus replied darkly, "but Kamski seems like a tricky player in this case. If getting rid of us was his intention from the start, he'd never have mentioned the backdoor to Connor in the first place."

"Kamski seems like a neutral character in all this. I believe our greatest concerns lay within the facility itself," Connor theorized, addressing the heterochromatic android, "that said, if there is still concern, you can interface at any given moment you desire during the meeting. I trust you will notice anything going wrong."

"Is that really enough, though?" North commented, "I won't let you kill Markus, Connor. I'll have a bullet through your head before you even think about reaching your holester. I'm not risking Kamski pulling a fast one on us."

"I've given enough information for disclaimers," Connor stated, "so I'd like to make something clear. While I trust the judgement of Jericho II in what to do with me, I do actually intend to keep my chance of survival high. I have somewhere to go home to, and I have a job I wish to continue."

He directed his attention to North, "I will not allow myself to be killed through a rash fit of ill judgement."

"Tell it to all of the androids that died for you to have all of that," North commented dryly.

Simon turned sharply, intending to argue that comment, but Markus spoke first.

"Look, no one shoots anyone without consulting me first," the leader ordered tiredly, pushing up from the table he had been leaning on, "I wish for clear and immediate communication. I desire EVERYONE to think clearly before calling upon any judgement, and no debates on Connor until we find out more about the AI."

After making himself clear, the leader gave a single nod, "alright. I think we've established enough discussion for the meeting, so let's move on. Connor, I've sent you instructions on what to do in the office, and assigned you to share Simon's station until we get another desk and terminal for you."

The detective glanced over to the blond android, who gestured at his station for him to sit. Connor pulled an extra rolling chair next to his and sat down.

The deviant leader looked around, awaiting for new commentary before finally dissmissing them for work.

* * *

Jericho II had been a very peaceful working environment for the most part. Sure, the presence of the detective had probed on everyone's stress levels, but chatter was minimal and work output was priority. Working so closely with humans, Connor had grown accustomed to the loud boisterous laughter and the constant chatter amongst his coworkers. The long breaks that resulted in the slow paced work, and the continuous distractions the humans would easily latch onto. It was likely due to being such a small team, but Connor also could narrow down the closest four coworkers he had in a setting like this and it would still get rowdy.

He didn't prefer either environment over the other, humans were amusing to observe, and Hank himself had tugged him into conversation from time to time. To Connor, it more of an interesting quality to notice about working in an android dominant office.

Everyone was deeply invested in the large quantities of work, and sifted through their assignments in inhuman speeds. While they didn't delve head on into every minuscule task, each leader had been in charge of overseeing the work of their own set of committees. Approving requests, cleaning up plans, and organizing files for easy access in the future. They were slowly building the empire of a small civilization. A community with clear plans of action in hopes to plug smoothly into the laws of the country it resided in.

Connor's processors in comparison to his coworkers were far more steadfast. He was assigned a pad for the time being, and had been tasked with sorting through the bills that the law committee had submitted for review, placing them neatly in their designated files for Markus to look over later without getting lost in the subjects. He was more than willing to review them for their leader, but Markus had warned him that he'd be easing into the work before he handled anything more sensitive than just filing.

It took him far less time than the team had anticipated. Since he was sharing a space with Simon, he had reported the completion of his task to the PL600, and the blond android rose his eyebrows, genuinely impressed. 

"What? Already? That's outstanding, Connor," the android murmured to him, leaning over to review his pad with fascination, "Markus has been the fastest out of all of us, but I suppose it should be no surprise that you surpass his speed by a large margin."

That was true, there should _not_ be any surprise, so there was no need for that much awe at his progress. However, it was still pleasant to hear the PL600's honest praise. It was so unabashedly encouraging, and he had to subtly scan Simon several times over just to confirm that the android was indeed being honest.

Markus quickly caught wind of his progress, and easily complied some more assignments from his own pile of work. They both went through the assignments much faster, with the tasks getting done earlier than Markus ever could have on his own. By the end of the day, Markus was smiling broadly, realizing he'd be able to go to stasis tonight and get a full recharge for the next day. And that was something he hadn't been able to do since Simon had offered him the day off.

"Good work everyone," he breathed out as everyone began wrapping up, "and Connor? We look forward to working with you."

Eveyone began to stand, and some unnecessarily stretching as they kickstarted some chatter. Josh gave Connor a quick pat on the back as he dismissed himself first, and North strode over to Markus to talk. As Connor stood, he felt a light touch on his arm.

"Welcome to the team, Connor," Simon told him gently, "let me know if you have any doubts or questions."

"Got it," Connor nodded, watching as the android smiled at him. Simon then glanced at North and Markus, perhaps to dismiss himself, and his smile slipped fractionally.

Connor subtly followed his gaze and turned to the two, watching their coworkers interfacing. Markus smiling lovingly he looked at his partner shyly, and North giving him one of her rare soft smiles. He turned back to Simon, and the android pursed his lips, his eyes clearly on Markus.

"They're busy," Simon stated, patting Connor on the shoulder and guiding him to leave with him, "we should give them some personal space."

Connor kept a sharp focus on Simon, "right," he stated softly, allowing himself to be guided. They stepped out of the office and Simon released him. The detective threw a subtle glance at the couple just as the door shut behind them and then turned to the blond android. 

"I hope we can find a solution for you, Connor," Simon began, whispering reassuringly, "I'd hate for you to worry excessively for the next few days, so feel free to contact me if you wish to talk over anything. Even if it's just something that has nothing to do with this entire situation."

"I'll keep that in mind," Connor nodded politely.

Simon threw him a sad smile, and Connor was aware that they both knew he wasn't going to contact him.

* * *

Connor should have gone directly home and take his mind off things, but he still wanted to think. About android things. Things like Jericho II or Amanda. About his meeting with Kamski. Basically everything Simon had predicted he would worry over. To think _Connor_ was the detective.

The offer to talk had been very tempting, but thinking and discussing were two entirely different things. He contemplated on actually staying and talking to Simon, but it was not an option. At the moment his presence alone seemed to fester a lot of emotions for everyone, including himself. He had felt like he was peeled raw by Markus during the interface, and seeing all the heroic acts the android had done had put upon more guilt in how Connor had wasted his own short existence. He wanted to recollect himself somehow, and talking to someone felt like too much right now.

Perhaps, if he organized his thoughts first, he'd then be able to have a civil conversation with Simon. Or he'd organize them so well that he wouldn't need to talk them over with anyone.

...the latter was doubtful.

Hank always knew when he was troubled, and while Connor could always trust his lieutenant to ground him, or bounce ideas, these topics were out of his depth. Hank would likely feel bad about not being able to help, and huddling with Sumo in morbid silence would likely garner the same response from the lieutenant. He needed to just be alone right now. 

So he lied. He sent a message to Hank's phone informing him that matters within Jericho had required a little more of his time, and that he would be returning home later than anticipated. Perhaps well past the man's sleep schedule. Granted, it wasn't as though he had never lied to Hank. He lied to the man's face upon his very first case, concerning the use of his oral blood sampling, but this lie made him feel mildly guilty. 

He quickly received a response back.

 **Hank:** _Don't let them push you around, kid. Tell them you're a goddamn officer and can haul all of their asses into the slammer if they try anything funny._

Connor frowned. He began to type his disagreement with that statement, until the lieutenant quickly sent another two texts with it.

 **Hank:** _I'm kidding_

 **Hank:** _It's a joke_

Oh, Connor thought, immediately deleting his long-winded argument. He still needed to work on reading the mood from texts messages. He was able to pick out when Anderson was kidding from face to face, but messaging was far more difficult. He quickly sent out his own witty response before continuing forward, ignoring the spam of texts he received from it. He was suppose to be busy, after all.

 **Me:** _Got it. Humorous activity is now registered as a felony, and I will arrest anyone who attempts to smile._

Connor wished that was all he needed, just friendly conversation with Hank. Were that the cure, he'd have gathered the courage to talk to Jericho II sooner. No, he needed to reflect further. Somewhere he would not be interrupted.

He slowly strode on, walking through the terrain and slowly making his way further and further from civilization through a vaguely familiar path. One he had trekked quietly and carefully himself, months ago. As a different person with a different goal in mind.

He was going to the first Jericho.

It was nothing like the zen garden, but looked about the same as he felt. Connor moved around the shrapnel that had sprayed around from the explosion, making the place very hazardous to live in. There were portions of the ship still in tact, but they would be unable to provide the same protective shelter from before. He was able to carefully cross over the water and onto the boat by a large sheet of metal that had fallen from the wreckage.

Even months since the incident, the area had been untouched. Cleaning up civilian spaces and trying to recover the mess in higher populated areas in Detroit was far higher on the list of tax money than clearing an abandoned site. The only beings that had come back were the androids, early on when they had finally claimed victory. They collected the bodies of their fallen members in an attempt to respect their sacrifice. Aside from that, it seemed that no androids nor humans had returned.

Connor could see the stains of blood on the walls. The dried brown stains of human, and the invisible compound of thirium, unlocked with a quick optical scan. Bullet holes and torn metal warped the corridor he walked through. The only source of light were the strips of orange sunlight peaking into the dark levels he was making his way to. In hindsight, he probably should have gotten a flashlight. It would be getting dark soon, and despite being able to see the open sky from as deep as he was, the star light would be a weak source to navigate through. Yet, despite this thoughts, he still trudged forward, jumping over holes on the floor and climbing over debris.

As Connor wandered into the wreck, he wondered if this site would change. Maybe, once Markus was able to push through with the humans, it would soon be turned into a historical site. A testament of androids seeking freedom. The wreckage paid homage to the deviant beginnings, after all. Chaotic, unruly, and yet frighteningly beautiful to look at. 

Would humans feel the pain suffered as they carefully explored the place as he was right now? The site painted a tragic story. How would it be told, several years from now? Would it be told by humans? Would it be told by androids? Would it matter who so far in the future?

...he wondered hesitantly how _his_ part would be said.

The thought he posed made him stop in his tracks. He looked up at the sky; it was now a gradient of orange and violet, and the sunlight was dimmer. It was getting harder to and harder to see what was in front of him. Maybe coming here was not a good idea. 

This place was his beginning. It was his answer to become alive. But it was also the answer to his case. He gathered the evidence, chased into this sacred sanctuary, and tore apart hopes, dreams, lives, and families. This place was where he started, but it was also proof of what he was capable of being. 

He destroyed this. _He_ pulled Jericho apart. 

It was a little much to think about, as he was flooded with the days concerns. He leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit. He patted himself for his coin, but he remembered that he had left it back at the precinct. Great.

Was there anything that he hadn't stained with thirium? Every good cause he did was overpowered by every sin he commited. And now there was the fear that he would turn into the very monster that had done all of this. 

He watched the sky get darker, violet and orange turning into black and violet, sprinkled with dim stars. He could see the yellow light of his LED shining brightly in the dark environment. His hand slowly moved to touch it, and he vaguely wondered why he kept it. Because he was okay with being an android? Because he had never felt tied down by it? Or maybe because he wanted to distinguish himself from the androids who did? 

The answer was unclear, but he found comfort in having it in his head. He dropped his hand, and closed his eyes, hearing the subtle hums of metal creaking against the water. Narrowing his senses on just sound.

Until he heard the distant sounds of footsteps.

He opened his eyes and turned to the direction the sound was echoing from. The steps went from close to him to one floor below him. Whoever it was likely didn't know he was in here. Was it an android? Or a human?

The detective kept his body low and slowly moved toward the source. He moved like a spider, making no sounds with his approach. Slits of white light peaked from the thin openings on the ground, and he realized whoever was down there had a lamp or flashlight of some sort. The light passed under him, and continued on behind him. He watched the light flickering with the movement of each step taken, and as it did, he heard subtle humming. It was the Japanese melody each of the caretaker androids sang to check for multilingual expression.

It was an android, then. He processed the sound, and registered the pitch into his records. It was a PL600. 

Daniel's model.

His spine ran cold, the melody slowly going from soft and pleasant to uncanny and creepy. North's words from their discussion came to mind. When he had told her he had a life he wished to lead.

_Tell it to all of the androids that died for you to have all of that._

Connor believed in nothing, so far. He didn't think rA9 was a mystical diety, he considered Markus as a wise leader rather than a godsend prophet, and he also didn't believe in any other human gods and myths. 

But today, in the midst of all his guilt-riddled thoughts, he thought of the first android that had suffered from his actions. The corpse of his body walking through the walls of Jericho, reminding him of what he had done.

He didn't think of him as a ghost, necessarily, but it was still an outlandish theory on his part. Humans could not come back from the dead. And after extensive damage, neither could androids. However, he never did analyze the full extent of Daniel's damage. He left the android's fate to the humans, assuming the bullets were well past his repair. But after the snippets of memories he had exchanged with Markus, who is to say the PL600 hadn't come back in the same way the deviant leader had? 

Yet all the same, he found himself crawling silently to the android, and not away from him. The detective needed to confirm the identity. He could hear Hank's affronted scold from the back of his head as he got closer to the android, who had stopped at an open area of the ship.

_"What the hell do you think your doing?! People who dive head first like that get killed first in horror movies!"_

But Connor was in no horror movie. If this was Daniel, he had a lot to discuss with the android. He went further until the walls of his own corridor tore open violently, exposing the large space below him and the other levels of the ship. Keeping his body low, Connor peaked over to see the android in front of him, who was looking for a place to put his bright lamp down. 

For a detective android, Connor contemplated his functions. He had no night vision, and could not properly zoom in on anything from a distance. Cyberlife had plenty of missed opportunities with his model. Such was the life of a prototype, he supposed.

He watched the android hesitantly place the lamp down, gazing at it critically for a minute, until finally stepping back. He then looking around, but still returned his gaze to the lamp, likely contemplating on whether or not to place it somewhere else. He was dressed in jeans and a dark jacket, and although he hadn't turned around, Connor could tell he was nervous. The body language he had screamed with awkward indecisiveness. The detective frowned. He hadn't known Daniel for that long, but that behavior was nothing like him. It was timid and soft, and-

...it was Simon.

If the presence of Simon hadn't brought about MORE questions, Connor would have allowed the sheepish sensation of stupidity to overtake him. A PL600. Simon was a PL600. One he had clearly seen earlier in the day. That should have been his _first_ guess, honestly.

The right thing to do in this situation would be to make his presence known. To stand up, make some noise, or ease into his introduction somehow. However, as he preconstructed the best way to do that, the blond android sat himself on a pile of beams and tilted his head up.

Connor darted his head out of sight, with his pump regulator stuttering at the blond android's movement. 

Right. So that had been entirely instinctual, and was the polar _opposite_ of his intended goal. 

Mission Failed, Connor. Way to go.

He carefully shifted himself to peak through the torn metal gap, which was about an inch big. He saw that Simon was still looking up, but his attention was directly above. He followed Simon's gaze, seeing that this part of the ship had also been torn open, giving a wide view of the sky. He turned to his back, still keeping sure no creaking was made, and settled to watch the sky.

Wait. He should really tell Simon he was here. Or maybe he could slowly crawl away and pretend never to have come here? But he was really curious to know why Simon was here. However, that may mean that Connor would have to explain why _he_ was here. 

This was not an ideal situation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on guys, the poor noodle was stressed and guilty as fuck. Of course his first thought was going to be on Daniel. I blame the horror stories he watches with Hank. I really do. Besides, they haven't gotten close enough yet for the guess to have been Simon in this moment of weakness.
> 
> Simon: Humming helps me relax in creepy settings
> 
> Connor: What the-? Who the-? okay I'm about to piss all my thirium out


	9. EXTRA: The (Jericho II) Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a gag short. I couldn't find a place for this in my outline, and it got a bit OOC? So I'm just pitching it as a playful extra. It has nothing to do with the plot nor the current timeline. Just a nice day at the Jericho II office in some nondescript time. Nondescript universe. Where Simon still unrequitedly crushing on Markus and Connor unaware that he may have a thing for the blond?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted something a little more humorous as a breather. Lotsa sads going on in my chapters (and stories in general) lately, and my notes are getting way too childish for the mood. 
> 
> Dunno if this will be funny or cringy, but I shall vomit it out and onto the public anyway.

As usual, Connor was quick in finishing up his assignment. He carried a lot of the load of the group, and it was lifting off a massive weight off of everyone's shoulders. Markus couldn't help but feel relief in being able to get a decent rest from time to time.

"Not bad, Connor," Markus smirked as he pulled up Connor's files on his own terminal. He quickly send him another set of tasks to complete, "you sure I can't steal you away from the DPD?"

"You shouldn't rob, Markus. Especially not from the police," Connor threw back, his tone lightly coated in humor.

"Please," North commented, "he's robbed from the company that _built_ him."

The heterochromatic android leaned back in his chair languidly, "All for the cause," 

"Those were his reckless days," Josh contemplated, shaking his head.

The deviant leader gestured at Connor, "yeah, but _he_ robbed the actual Cyberlife tower. I wasn't _that_ bad."

"Wow, You're really going to throw him under the bus like that?" Josh stated. 

"I've actually almost been struck by a bus before," Connor informed them casually, his tone innocent.

"What?! How?!" Simon exclaimed, turning sharply to him. Connor rose his brows, cocking his head.

"I ran into traffic."

North snorted at blunt delivery of his response. She covered her mouth and turned away, pissed off that she was even laughing in the first place.

"No kidding!" Josh stated sarcastically, "why even-?! North! This is no laughing matter!"

All the WR400 could do in response was wave him off.

"It was before becoming a deviant," the detective explained.

"And I take it you were stupid before becoming deviant?" North asked, trying her best to look annoyed, but her quivering lip was not helping.

"No," Connor replied, taking the comment at face value, "just desperate to complete my mission; I knew my model would be replaced should I get destroyed."

"Connor, I hope you know that you matter much more than that...," Simon stated sadly, placing a hand on his forearm. 

"I know that now," the detective replied, smiling softly at the PL600, "thank you, Simon."

"Wow," Markus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "now _that_ was _extremely_ reckless. You aren't in an a movie, Connor. You have to have a little self-preservation."

"Markus, please. Your last resort against the swat was to kiss North," Josh pointed out, "what kind of rom-coms did Carl let you watch for you to pull that?"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Markus pouted.

"Technically," Connor countered, "the public already thought highly of androids for it to work. You'd have been gunned down otherwise."

Josh pointed at everyone, "see everyone? See what being a pacifist does?"

"Still would have accepted a kiss even if he used the dirty bomb," North replied, throwing Markus a lazy smirk.

"Oh? Uh, thank you," the deviant leader stated, clearing his throat in embarrassment, "but, uh, it's good that we didn't have to go there."

"Whipped," Josh stated.

"You know what, Josh? You really aren't the pacifist you think you are," Markus replied, frowning.

The PJ500 gasped. He threw his leader an offended look.

"Kissing sounds nice," Simon murmured softly, propping his cheek into his palm. His comment so soft and under his breath that Connor, who sat next to him, was the only to catch it. He also noticed that the blond was looking at Markus as he stated this.

"The stubble may be uncomfortable," the detective informed him in a low voice.

"Well, maybe that's something I'd like to tr-," Simon froze, blinking at Connor, and then slowly covering his mouth in shame.

The detective, on the other hand, was pouting at him. Was Simon interested in stubbles? Connor was incapable of growing facial hair.

Wait. Why should Connor be concerned about having facial hair?

"Look at this office!" Markus complained, "we're all getting distracted! Everyone back to work!"

"You need to shave," Connor voiced out without thinking, "your facial hair is distracting the team."

"What?" Markus asked, confused beyond reason.

"What?" Connor parroted back.

"Connor!" Simon exclaimed pulling his hands up to cover his face in embarrassment.

"...but I like my stubble," the deviant leader stated, absentmindedly rubbing his chin. 

"There's nothing wrong with it, Markus!" Simon commented in a frantic tone.

"It's fine," North informed him.

"Makes you look sleep deprived," Josh pointed out.

"I don't like it," Connor added.

"rA9, enough!" Markus hissed, "no one talk about my face, okay?!"

"You brought it up," Connor argued.

" _You_ brought it up!" 

"I did not pursue the topic," the RK800 informed him.

"We're going to fall behind, so why don't we just get back to work?" Simon offered hesitantly.

"Right," the deviant leader agreed sternly.

Everyone settled back into their work, and the room finally went back into a comfortable silence.

Until North let out an annoyed groan.

She looked up from her work, leveling her lover with a deadpanned look, "Markus your face is just fine, so just drop it."

"That message was sent in confidentiality!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Simon: I'd love to kiss Markus  
> Connor (towards Markus): I'm about to end this man's whole career


	10. Stop Overthinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon does his own share of thinking, but is given a massive heartattack by an android calling to him from the shadows. Both androids awkwardly confront each other in a very polite fashion. As per soft boi regulation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so this wasn't the story I had assumed I was going to be having delayed updates on. I thought it was gunna be my OTHER story, so I put my disclaimer on the wrong fic. 
> 
> That said, I'mma try to keep things going on both ends! And if you happen to be reading both my main fics, I'm warning you now that it's gunna give you whiplash. My characters are NOT gunna interact the same way X'D

Simon knew he really shouldn't be going here, but after all these massive concerns looming over everyone and his own pitiful woes, he just needed a place to think. He walked down Jericho, looking around the path. It was broken and torn apart in comparison to his memory of it, but the route was still the same. He traveled forward with his lamp, making his way to the lower levels and onto the open path below the deck. He looked around for a spot he could place his lamp, but as per usual, he always unsure.

In the first place, he should be back in Jericho II. Safely in his private room, resting for the next day. It was a reckless act, to wander on his own without any sort of weapon, but Simon was no famous deviant. His model was easily lost in the sea of androids. Additionally, he was dressed far too civilian; a wardrobe rarely worn by the Jericho leaders these days, unless they were out on off days. Their outfits were sown or modified for them, distinguishing them from the rest of the androids as the founding leaders. But right now? He was just wearing a gray t-shirt, dark jeans, and the old dark jacket he had before the revolution.

He placed his lamp down, fussing over its placement before moving on to sit. He noticed pile of beams nearby and sat on them. They weren't all that much like a couch, but such had been his life before Jericho II. He looked up at the view. The familiar tendrils of his memory drive paving the grid work of how the boat had once looked. Encapsulated and solid.

Jericho had been old, dirty, and dripping with leaks, but it kept them safe. As he recalled his memory of the place, his eyes mapped out the visual for him, and once more he could see the view of androids bustling about before him. No stars and open sky, just a metal shield over their heads. They sat and huddled together on top of crates, whispering their stories to each other. Feeling their emotions hesitantly, and exploring them with more vigor the longer they stayed.

The memory flickered, and slowly broke apart into the current aftermath he was sitting in. The floors that were once above his head were now blown clear through and exposing the sky above. The sight was magnificent; a dark swatch of violet with numerous stars sprinkled across it. Even his own strong lamp wasn't enough to dim out the view his eyes were looking at.

It was tragic to see his old home like this, but in hindsight, it paved open the new beginnings for android. Everything was torn open and free; no more were their people trapped and hidden in the shadows, waiting for the unmistakable fate of death upon being found. They were free to openly fight for their dreams, free to speak out against their troubles, and soon enough, they'd be recognized by the law. The fate of Jericho had always been temporary; such was the fable it was named after. Simon was glad that despite the dark end of this place, the legacy had continued onto something positive.

And it had been all thanks to the last member. Markus. Simon had passed the reigns off to him, and their new leader had pulled Jericho out and into the open. Through his courage, strength, and undying confidence, he was able to set his people free. He reached his hand out and thrust everyone into a new world of hope.

A sigh dragged out of the PL600s lips. Admiration and devotion had struck him so powerfully, and so intensely, that he couldn't prevent it from overpowering his emotions. Turning into something more than just a simple friendship. He would be willing to give his thirium pump for the android. 

His hand moved to clutched tightly at his chest from that thought. He loved him so deeply, it felt like it had already _been_ torn out.

rA9, it was entirely dramatic, wasn't it? This much he knew. Markus was never his to begin with. He had given himself to the android, and would give him everything he cherished without a second thought, but that was _his_ choice. There was nothing that tied his leader to him. He cared deeply about Simon, and that much meant the world to the PL600.

He couldn't be selfish about this. Markus deserved to be happy, and it was clear the person who would do that on a personal level was not him. He did best to wholeheartly support it, but nothing could stop his heart from squeezing at the sight of the android, nor the crushing sensation it felt when his loving gaze landed on North. 

And everyone but him knew. Markus could only see his nature as a nervous quirk of his personality, but everyone could see his bleeding heart haphazardly tapped to his sleeve. Slipping and dripping thirium everywhere like a fool. He was trying. He was doing his best not to let his own woes tint their happiness, but...

It hurt. Quite a lot. 

Perhaps that was the price of his indecisiveness. All he ever had were feelings that he never had the courage to take anywhere. That's practically who he was, right?

He made Jericho, but it was Markus who took it to freedom.

He wanted peace, but it was Josh who spoke proudly and confidently about it.

He loved Markus, but it was North who fought for his love.

And now, as he desired to help Connor, it was likely clear to the detective that Simon could barely handle his _own_ problems. Once again reaffirming his lack of conviction.

Even Markus admitted that he'd no longer need to depend on him for advice. So what purpose did he serve on the team aside from filing paperwork? Any android could do that!

He sighed once more, dragging a hand through his hair.

He needed to stop. His mind was wandering off to pointless negativity. It wasn't as though he was alone in this world. If love was something he wished for, then he should consider his team. He loved his friends, and they loved him. They were basically his family, and further, Jericho II was also important to him. He knew almost everyone by name. Additionally, he lived in a better situation than he had in this boat he currently sat in. He was _proud_ to have stood by his friends and fight to achieve the reality he continued to see every day. This was a life he had always hoped for, but could never have allowed himself to expect ever happening. A life he had dreamed of even before Jericho.

His thirium pump stuttered and jumped wildly at the thought. _Before_ Jericho.

He quickly pressed a shaky palm to his eyes, trying to push away the flashes of memories that tried to surface in his mind. He took deep breaths, his eyes tightly closed until the sensation of his trembling hands came to a stop.

Once he felt his pump regular calm down, he allowed himself to crack open his eyes. He then slowly allowed his tense limbs to relax. The point was... he had far more than he could ask for. Markus didn't love him in the manner that Simon loved him, but the heterochromatic android loved him in a way that was still just as precious. And that was enough to ease him away from the negative thoughts that had struck him.

His attention soon locked onto the bright lamp he had been holding earlier. The bright white shine of it serving as his makeshift bonfire. Sitting here in the remains of Jericho was likely the opposite of progress in terms of his predicament. Just wallowing in his woes would lead to nothing. Or rather, it was leading him to thoughts that he otherwise would not be having were he near his friends. While he needed to be alone, he knew in this particular case it wasn't helping.

He extended his legs, stretching them and swinging them back and forth in thought. Unsure of how much time transpired while he stared of the lamp, Simon contemplated on whether or not he should call it a night and head home. That was, until a deep voice called his attention.

**"Simon."**

The android flinched, looking around at the sound of his name, but seeing no one. His pump regulator spiked up, and his thirium ran cold. He couldn't tell where the sound was coming from. It had bounced around the walls in an intimidating fashion.

 **"Don't be scared, I'm up here,"** the voice urged.

Slowly, Simon rose his eyes up to see an ominous figure standing tall in the shadows on the level above him. Their blue LED dimly lighting up their wide eyes.

Looking directly at him.

He screamed.

* * *

  
Connor had made up his mind to let Simon know he was not alone, finally standing up (quite literally) and calling out to him (for the sake of being polite), but apparently telling an android to not be scared did the opposite depending on the circumstances. The second Simon made eye contact, his stress levels _skyrocketed_ and he cried out in a panic, jumping off the beams and scurrying to press himself backwards against the wall.

"Simon! Please calm down!" Connor called out, raising his arms in a placating manner, "it's me, Connor!"

Silence.

"...Connor?!"

"Yes!"

Simon let out a wobbly whimper as he tilted his head up and covered his face with shaky hands. Connor watched him collect himself, shifting awkwardly until he finally decided to sit over the edge of the corridor to peer down at him. 

Simon took an impossibly long deep breath, and finally peeked out of his fingers to look at the android above him. 

"Connor," he asked carefully, his voice slightly trembling as he spoke, "may I ask what in th-the _name_ of rA9 you are doing here?"

The android in question watched as Simon clutched his chest, slowly sliding down the wall to sit. His eyes on the android as he did so.

"I'm sorry," Connor began, tracking the percentage of stress slowly dwindled down on the android below, "I didn't mean to scare you. I was already here by the time you arrived, but was unsure of how to proceed. Maybe I should have introduced myself beforehand..."

The detective pushed himself forward, jumping off to the next floor. Simon flinched at the action, reaching a hand out to stop him, but the android had already made the leap by that point. By the time Simon stood up, he had already landed expertly in a crouch, and patted himself down as he rose back to full height. With the same amount of grace, he adjusted his tie and aligned it neatly with his vest.

"I am not entirely sure how I came to be here specifically," he replied as he adjusted his knot, "but I suppose my intent was to think."

Simon looked at him incredulously, "in _Jericho_?"

Connor frowned, recalling how dark thoughts had surfaced while he was here, "in hindsight, it was not the most ideal location. I simply wanted to be alone."

"Connor, you know you are more than welcome to...," Simon started, moving forward to meet him, but then stuttered in his path. Connor noticed this, but awaited his next words patiently.

The PL600 gripped his shoulder, taking a step back, "I'm sorry. I'm being pushy again."

"Pushy?" Connor asked, visibly confused. 

"Yes, I...," Simon sighed, "I tend to be a busy body, so I know I've been unnecessarily pestering you recently."

"Ah," Connor lit up, "are you referring to our dispute from earlier? If so, the concern is unnecessary. Josh was right. We both were—,"

"No, no," Simon stated, shaking his head, "I just... in general, I feel like I've been pressuring on you. To talk. And for that, I apologize."

At the silence, Simon glanced up at Connor. 

The android's face looked playful, reminding Simon of how he had been at the precinct, "I'm not sure if your recent attempts of getting me talk are what I would consider _pressuring_ , Simon. And I can assure you, being that I'm quite familiar with the practice."

The PL600 was mildly thrown, stuttering as he spoke, "I'm not— no, I'm not trying to _interrogate_ , I just meant that my behavior so far was—,"

"Friendly," Connor explained, before the android could degrade his actions any further, "I admit, I was doubtful of your initial offers. And even now, I find your behavior very improbable, given my actions during the course of the revolution. And your direct witness to many of them."

The detective bent down to pick up the lamp between them, scanning the battery life on it, "I came to Jericho II knowing I wouldn't be trusted, and that much was true. Yet, you seem to have an unnatural amount of faith in me. It's..."

He pursed his lips, unable to pinpoint what the right description of this sensation could be. He used his free hand to reached for his coin, only to belatedly recall it was not on him. He patted his chest uselessly before retreating his hand.

"Suspicious?" Simon tried, watching his anxious gesture, but Connor shook his head.

"I can identify suspicious. I can also detect lies. This is... new."

He left it at that.

Simon was still confused.

New? What did that mean, exactly? To be trusted? For someone to have faith in him? What about Lieutenant Anderson? Was this somehow different? Perhaps still negative? New, but in a bad way?

As questions swam in Simon's head, Connor shifted gears. He tilting the lamp to point at him as he spoke.

"May I ask why _you_ were here, Simon?"

The android in question lifted his hand to his chest, "I... also had things to think about."

At this, Connor's LED spun yellow. It was quick, but the PL600 did not imagine it. He felt like the other android was scrutinizing him, searching for evidence, or rA9 forbid, reading his mind.

However, his voice was hesitant when he finally spoke, "did it... help?"

At the question, the blond android shifted his attention down to the lamp between them. The question probably warranted a simply 'yes' or 'no', but Simon could not help the words that slipped out of his mouth, "too much thinking can get upsetting."

"...That is understandable," he heard Connor mumbled out. Simon looked up to see that the android's LED was spinning yellow once more. Staying there.

Hesitantly, Simon returned his gaze to the lamp. He reached for it and slid the object out of the other android's fingers.

"But you shouldn't let it be," Simon whispered quickly, feeling the sharp gaze of the detective as he allowed him to retrieve his device, "you should... you should move forward and..."

He glanced up to see Connor leaning forward to hear the completion of his sentence. Simon suddenly felt immense pressure, being pinned under such an attentive gaze.

"...and...stop overthinking...?" he finished awkwardly, mentally slapping himself at the terrible advice.

Connor rose his brows at this.

Before the android had a chance to comment, Simon stepped forward and quickly moved around Connor. He ducked his head, curling a fist near his mouth in embarassment, "We should leave. It's probably for the best to go if our thoughts are going to turn on us."

Connor spun around, watching the android curiously as he stepped into the corridor he had come in from. He then moved forward to catch up to him. They both quietly maneuvered their way through the damaged terrain, exiting the ship. As soon as they crossed the metal sheet leading them to the dock, Connor was the one who spoke up.

"I should walk you home," he informed Simon.

In turn, Simon shook his head, stepping back, "No. No, I'm quite alright."

"It wouldn't be safe," Connor explained, gesturing at him, "you're unarmed."

"I'm not in any type of danger," Simon argued, "and Jericho II is very close."

"I don't mean to be so intrusive, but it wouldn't sit well with me to leave you on your own," the detective persisted, "although many humans are accepting us into society, there is still the potential of a threat. You are one of the leaders of Jericho II, Simon. You are too important to be wandering so carelessly."

"Connor, don't be ridiculous," Simon tried once again, trying to sound lighthearted, "besides, I've been out on my own plenty of times before and have been perfectly fine."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Connor's frown deepened.

"That actually concerns me more," he stated.

Simon took in the heavy look of worry on the other android and felt bad. He wasn't necessarily against an escort, he just didn't want Connor to feel like he had to. Regardless, he decided to relent. They could fall into an eternal battle over this, and this time there'd be no Josh to stop them.

"Alright," he responded, hugging his lamp, "thank you, Connor."

"Of course," the android nodded, and they both moved forward. 

As they made their way back to Jericho II, Connor subtly glanced at Simon. Judging by the stress levels on him, he was quickly becoming more and more nervous the further they walked. He wondered if he was doing more harm than good in escorting the blond android. It felt wrong to stress him out so much, despite his intentions to keep him safe. He moved his hands behind his back before he finally decided to speak. 

"...I have a dog."

Simon threw him a questioning look. However, the android was facing forward as he relayed this piece of trivia. 

"To be clear, he's not _my_ dog, exactly," Connor quickly explained, still looking straight ahead, "It's my Lieutenant's dog. I just help take care of him," a pause, "he's a St. Bernard," another pause, "his name is Sumo."

Simon felt himself smile at the contrast between the android's collected body language and the nervousness of his words. Was he trying to have small talk? He cradled the lamp in his arms closer, peering over at him, "that's nice. I like dogs."

Connor turned sharply to him. While he was not smiling, Simon could see the excited gleam in his eyes. The PL600 could not help but smile wider at the contained excitement the brunette android had.

"I take it you really like them too?" Simon asked brightly.

Connor faced forward again before he answered, "I assume I was programmed to like them, but dogs were my first real take on preference. However, now I can truly feel confident in saying that they make me happy."

They finally reached a less secluded area where the street lights started to illuminate their path, and Simon flicked off his lamp, "I'm glad to hear about this discovery. You can never go wrong with liking dogs."

Connor nodded in agreement. He then threw a curious glance at the blond android, "what do _you_ like, Simon?"

Simon met his eyes, taking a moment to process the question, "what do I... _like_?" he repeated.

"Yes," Connor stated, "what is a preference you have discovered?"

Huh. Simon never really considered small trivia about himself. Certainly, there was someone he _liked_ , going to the point of _love_ , but he was not going to open that can of worms right now. It was not what Connor was referring to, either. That being said, it was hard to come up with something on the spot, despite the simplicity of the question.

He gave Connor an apologetic look, "I'm having a difficult time picking out any interests."

"Perhaps I can narrow it down to a specific category?" the detective asked, leaning closer.

Simon turned away from the scrutiny, "It's alright Connor. Maybe we should continue with your interests?"

The android looked taken aback by the dodge, "but isn't it your turn?"

Simon actually chuckled at this, " _my_ turn?"

"Yes," Connor replied eagerly, completely serious in his point, "in conversation, it would be rude to keep the topic entirely on me."

Simon threw him an amused look, "conversations aren't dictated by specific guidelines, Connor. There's no need to abide by strict formalities."

"I understand," Connor answered, nodding politely, "but if it's all the same, I'd like to know. Even if it's something minimal."

Simon took a moment to think. Connor was trying to be friendly, and at this point it would be rude to reject the question. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to come up with something small that he enjoyed, right? The android tilted his head up in thought until he came up with one of his hobbies.

"I like plants," he finally said, "I find it very rewarding to grow something."

"Plants?" the other android repeated, "Ah, were you the one who placed the plants around the building?"

Simon threw the detective a sheepish smile, "I don't have enough time to do that. The interior designers were the ones who did it."

"Oh," Connor replied, feeling sheepish himself.

"But I do tend to the garden on the roof," Simon replied quickly, hoping not to get him too down, "you should visit it."

At this, Connor cocked his head thoughtfully, "I'll keep that in mind," he then threw a contemplative gaze at Simon, "growing plants suit you."

"Because I'm a household model?" Simon joked.

Connor stopped, and Simon paused along with him, "perhaps it relates to the concept," the android replied, "but you tend to nurture things very well. Your friends see you as a supportive figure as far as I can tell. And you come off as someone who wishes the best for everyone."

Simon let out a tired sigh, "I'm sure that's just my programming manifesting itself subconsciously."

Connor rose a brow, "Would it be so wrong if it was?" 

"I suppose not," the android murmured, looking down at the pavement, "but I'm sure various androids, particularly my model, have some innate need to please. And maybe that's the part that makes me so relunctant to appreciate the trait."

"You aren't abiding by any orders. It seems more like your personal strength," Connor argued, "judging by my limited observation, you seem to serve as an emotional foundation for your team. If it were based on programming, then you've been able to adapt it into an interpretation that you can claim as yours."

Simon looked up at him, a small smile forming on his lips.

Connor's LED spun yellow, and he looked away from the soft gaze, "...positive traits can sprout from an android's programming. I can't say the same for my own design."

Simon leaned over to him, pulling his attention back to him. He gave him a reassuring smile, "but you were designed to protect, weren't you?" 

Connor followed Simon's gaze, brown eyes darting hesitantly between calm blue ones, "protect...?" 

Simon nodded, "at the end of the day, we are all programmed to do something for humans. Going by that logic, if I have a need to nurture, then you have a need to protect," he threw him a playful smile, "you wouldn't even let me go home without safely escorting me, after all. It seems like a particularly innate need from your subconcious."

At this, Connor seemed to be speechless. His mouth parted slightly, as if he was going to say something, but it slowly closed. They both stood there, silently staring at each other, until Connor finally snapped straighter, breaking the silence.

"I must return to the Lieutenant's house," a pause transpired before the android added, "goodnight, Simon."

Simon blinked, glancing to his side and doing a double take to see that they had already arrived to Jericho II.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, then turned back to the android, "Thank you for the escort, Connor...," he gave him a small smile, "Goodnight."

"Your welcome," the detective replied slowly, stepping backwards a few feet until he finally turned around to leave.

As he walked away, Connor subtly glanced back at Simon, who was making his way back into the building. He then continued forward, letting his legs take him back home as he immersed himself into his thoughts.

Protect?

Nonsense. He was designed to capture and subdue the deviants. That was what he had been activated to do. He wasn't programmed to _save_ , he was programmed to _stop_. And by extention, to _destroy_. Simon's theory was clearly romantisized.

He turned around a corner in the street, stopping just below a lamp post. His hand slowly moved up to his chest. It... hurt? His chest feel like it was constricting somehow. It was difficult to explain, but it didn't exactly feel like a pain that was inflicted in a negative context either. It was almost comforting, too. Which was why he had a hard time describing it.

He closed his eyes, contemplating on Simon's words.

_Designed to protect._

...He liked that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _[Everyone liked that]_


End file.
